Into the Fire
by thedarkunicorn
Summary: Sasuke and Itachi learn of their clan’s desire for a revolt and refuse to go along with it. Can Sasuke escape his arranged marriage? AU style massacre in which Sasuke helps Itachi and Sasuke breaks away. ItaSasu story, minor SasuSaku. Full Summary inside.
1. Sasuke's Sentence

_Full Summary: A Sasuke and Itachi story of how the massacre would have played out had Sasuke been involved and things played out a little differently. Naruto and Sasuke's friendship will have a place in this story, as well as Sasuke and Sakura's relationship, but the focus will be on Itachi and his strange new feelings for Sasuke and Sasuke's coping with the tragedy of his clan. Itachi and Sasuke's development is the main focus. Yaoi, Uchihacest... lemons later on. If you can't read this being open to SasuSaku AND ItaSasu, then you shouldn't read it at all. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter One: Sasuke's Sentence

The streets were busy as Itachi Uchiha passed his Aunt and Uncle's bakery. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the open windows, striking him unpleasantly as did the eyes of the customers. Children ran wild chasing each other with toy shurikens nearly running into Itachi, but their mother quickly stopped them and apologized to him with her head lowered. Itachi said nothing and walked on, irritated he had to go interrogate someone for his father at the headquarters on his day off.

No one seemed capable of doing anything without him anymore. The dependence was not something Itachi had ever wanted and he despised it. With each day that passed, he grew more and more bound to his place in life—the future leader of the Uchiha clan. That role was not something he would become, but something that would become of him. He would lose himself to it, and the first signs had already begun to show. A kind smile to his young cousins could no longer be tolerated. Allowing an inferior clan member to address him as anything less than "Sama" was a disgrace.

Itachi stopped when he noticed someone had fallen into step beside him.

"Good morning, Itachi-sama," spoke a young lady. She was a member of one of the Uchiha branch families. Itachi couldn't even remember her name.

"Good morning," Itachi said, and kept walking. After a few more silent moments of her walking beside him, Itachi spoke.

"Did you want something?" he asked.

"Um, well, yes, Itachi-sama, you see, I was wondering if you would have dinner with my family this evening, if you aren't busy of course."

Itachi sighed mentally before glancing over at the girl. She could only be a few years older than Sasuke, and now that he looked at her, he could tell she was one of the girls that his father had picked out for him to consider as a wife. This was no doubt connected with her sudden invitation.

"No, I can't make it," Itachi said.

The girl paused as if struck and stopped walking. Itachi didn't stop until he was a few steps ahead of her. Letting a devious smirk crawl onto his face, he turned and glanced at her over his shoulder.

"But I would allow you to spend the night with me."

# # #

Itachi played lazily with the girl's long dark hair that was splashed across his chest. Her slim body was hardly able to handle what he put her through last night, but she seemed determined to please him. Itachi smiled, amused she had gone through with it. Should he not choose to marry her, she would be in serious trouble.

Heavy footsteps outside his door warned him of the approaching visitor. Recognizing his father's stride, Itachi scowled. He moved the girl from her innocent position at his side so that her body was draped scantily clad with the sheet across his. He could feel his father's glare on him when he entered the room.

"Itachi," he said, his eyes narrowing at the girl, "come to my study. Now."

# # #

"What the hell are you thinking, Itachi?" Fugaku shouted. "Don't you have any respect for your position?"

"No," Itachi said, his voice calm and controlled, "actually, I don't."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "Look Itachi. Sleep with as many of them as you want, but you have to choose one. The leader of the Uchiha clan cannot be without a wife. You will carry on the main branch of the family. This is not a light matter. You have a responsibility to this family."

"I do not need a wife right now. I'm only twenty-one and not due to take your position for many years yet. Why should I have to worry about this now?"

Fugaku sighed. "Fine Itachi. We've been through this before. I don't really care if you are married or not, but you need an heir. I was your age when you were born. You can't wait much longer, or your son will not be ready to take your position. But it's to your shame that he will be born out of wedlock."

Itachi finally looked up at his father. "Alright. I'll choose a wife by the end of the month."

Fugaku's face relaxed. "Good."

# # #

Itachi found his lover nervously sitting on his bed when he returned to his room to change into his ANBU uniform. He had forgotten about her. Trembling, she addressed him nervously, citing her torn clothes as the reason she was still in his room.

Itachi smirked at the memory and pulled some of his clothes out of his closet for her to wear. As he watched her change, he admired the slender curves of her delicate body and the long dark hair that fell down her chest. Just as she was about to leave the room, he called out to her to wait.

She froze and turned to face him, the clothes a bit too big, but not suspicious looking. Something odd struck Itachi in that moment as he saw her nervous expression as she hugged his clothes tightly to her. She was quite beautiful.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The blush the rose in her cheeks was endearing as she muttered "Ruka".

Itachi moved closer to her, pulling her in his arms and ghosting his lips over her ear.

"Come back in two nights, Ruka."

Full on trembling now, she nodded and slipped out of the room.

Amused, Itachi changed into his ANBU uniform and left the house. As he checked out at the front gates for his solo two day ANBU mission, his mask firmly in place, the sun was just setting. Off in the distance, he could hear an obnoxiously loud person boasting about their hit on an enemy they encountered on a recent mission. Leaving the front gate, Itachi noticed Kakashi and his squad, the annoying blond one still shouting at his younger brother who had a look of complete irritation adorning his face.

"There's no way you could have taken that guy without me roughing him up for you first! Besides, I got the final hit on him!"

"He was already down then, Naruto," spoke up the girl, the one Itachi recalled as Sakura. She looked even more irritated than his younger brother and not to his surprise, the copy ninja had his face buried in one of those perverted novels.

"I told you already, Sakura-chan, he was getting back up! If I hadn't of taken him out, he would have caught Sasuke-teme off guard!" he shouted.

"Naruto!" Sasuke finally shouted. "If you don't stop shouting in my ear I'm going to strangle you!"

"Not a very cohesive team you have, eh, Kakashi-san?" Itachi asked, pausing outside the gate as they approached.

Sasuke's eyes immediately shot up to see the familiar fox mask of his brother's ANBU uniform.

"Eh heh," Kakashi chuckled as he scratched his head, "They've always been like this, ever since their first days as team seven over three years ago, but somehow they manage quite well."

Itachi glanced at Naruto who was eyeing him with suspicion. Every time he had ever met his brother's obnoxious teammate they were always bickering. Itachi vaguely wondered how Sasuke could stand it. Just one glance at the defiant look on Naruto's face made Itachi weary.

"Sasuke, you should try to get along with your teammates better," Itachi scolded lightly.

"Tsk," Sasuke sounded, giving him a disdainful look. "You try getting along with these two sometime."

"Hey," Sakura said, "What did I ever do?"

Sasuke simply glared at her with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Itachi laughed and ruffled Sasuke's hair as he passed them. "See you in a few days, Sasuke."

# # #

Sasuke lied awake that night, wondering what it was his brother was up to on his mission. He had so many short solo missions, he could only assume they were assassination missions. Itachi was the most skilled ANBU in the village, so if Konoha wanted someone taken out without a mess or any trace of it back to them, he was the only one that could without a doubt pull it off. Lately he overheard his father complaining about how often they had Itachi out on missions, away from his clan duties. He couldn't deny it would be nice to have Itachi around more, but even if he was, Sasuke wouldn't get any time with him. He resented Itachi for it sometimes--not being around enough. He knew it wasn't Itachi's fault, but it still bothered him. It was the excuse Sasuke used when his father harassed him about taking the Jounin exam. Letting his father think he was unable to pass it without Itachi's help was a small price to pay to not be forced to take it yet. The truth was, he had been ready to take it right after the Chunin Exams when him, Naruto and Sakura had all finally passed. The truth was, all three of them had been ready to take it, but none of them admitted it. There was always an excuse, a reason they couldn't do it. Sasuke knew he wasn't the only one getting hell for not taking it yet. The Hokage was constantly on Sakura about it, and everyone gave Naruto curious looks when he said he wasn't ready. It was an outright lie, and everyone knew it.

The truth was, none of them wanted to leave team seven. Once they passed the Jounin tests, they would either be assigned to a new squad or routed into the ANBU Black Ops and they could rest assured they'd never be on the same team again. Sasuke knew Kakashi preferred keeping them around as well simply because he never recommended them for the test, which would have forced them to take it. It was only because of the fact that none of their year had made it to their level yet and to Jounin that they could continue to linger as team seven.

Sasuke sighed. He knew it wouldn't last forever, but despite how annoying his teammates were, he knew he would never find friends like them again.

# # #

The next morning, Sasuke headed out to the training grounds to meet his team for a sparring session. It was their day off, and Kakashi-sensei wouldn't be there to keep them in line. Sasuke smirked as he met them, psyched for the match.

"So Teme, what are you up for? Old fashioned tai-jutsu match? Or do you wanna play rough?" Naruto asked, his casual tone turning deviant with the last part.

"Me against both of you. Anything goes," Sasuke said, his smirk the worst of all his condescending looks.

Naruto huffed and was about to object when Sakura smirked back and said, "Fine. Anything goes."

Sasuke watched her, catching the odd glint of amusement in her eyes. Something about that look left him uneasy.

Ready to wipe that smug look off her face, Sasuke hands formed seals faster than they could react and sent a massive fire jutsu across the training field. Sensing Sakura beneath him, Sasuke leapt back to avoid her blow from below after her earth style jutsu that buried her beneath the surface, only to have to use a substitution to avoid Naruto's vicious wind attack. Catching Sakura's kick and punches that came at him were no easy feat, and when he did, he felt as if every bone in his arm and hand had been crushed. However, it wasn't long before he caught her in a paralyzing gen-jutsu and she fell limply against him. Instinctively catching her, Sasuke realized she wasn't under the jutsu when she knocked him to the ground.

"How did you break that gen-jutsu?" Sasuke asked, staring at her in shock.

She said nothing as Sasuke flipped her onto her back and backed off as he felt Naruto at his side. She had definitely gotten strong to be able to break one of his sharingan techniques so quickly. Impressed, Sasuke decided it was time to get serious.

For the next twenty minutes, he spent a good amount of chakra just avoiding Naruto and Sakura's attack, but so far, they hadn't hit him once. Just when he was about to make his move and take Sakura out, he felt one of Naruto's nasty wind jutsus that would saw a person to ribbons if they didn't get out of its way.

"Damn it," Sasuke muttered as he realized his only escape route was into Sakura. Only just escaping the brunt of the jutsu, Sasuke and Sakura both lost their balance as the harsh wind swept them off their feet and tumbling across the training grounds.

Winded, Sasuke glanced at Sakura, who was much closer to him than he preferred, and saw her already making seals. Jumping to his feet, he saw her swing out to knock him back down, but preempted her attack and fastened both of her legs to the ground with his own and twisted her into an arm bar. Seeing her smirk, Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What's so funny?" he asked--and then he felt it.

A dainty hand had a firm grip squeezing ever so hard on his lower region. He felt his entire body restrict in tension. The next moment, there was a kunai at his throat, and Sakura's smirk deepened.

"One move, Sasuke Uchiha, and they're as good as mine," Sakura's clone said from behind him. The Sakura still beneath him was still smirking in glory at the shocked expression on his face. Releasing the real Sakura in his grip, he closed his eyes and smirked in defeat.

"So this is what the Hokage teaches you."

# # #

Finally arriving back at the village, Itachi checked in and raced across the rooftops back to his own room, ready for a long hot shower and his bed. Landing gracefully on the balcony that Sasuke and he shared, he walked past Sasuke's room, noticing his windows were shut. Sasuke never shut his windows since he liked it so cold in his room, and Itachi smirked, wondering what he could be doing in there that would make him shut them. Pausing to peer through the crack into his brother's room, Itachi's eyes widened.

That pink hair was unmistakable. Sasuke had her in his lap, her back to him, trailing hot kisses up her spine and neck, his hands roaming her naked body freely. Itachi was about to move on when Sasuke suddenly shifted the girl, tangling his hands in her long pink hair and pulling her head to his lap. A foreign feeling struck Itachi as he saw the girl take Sasuke's hard length into her mouth. His eyes travelled up his brother's body, resting on his eyes drunk with lust as his teammate sucked him off. Itachi could only imagine the sounds coming from Sasuke's throat that must have been nothing short of pure bliss, and Itachi was suddenly a little disturbed at how aroused he was getting watching this. Still, he couldn't tear his eyes away from his brother's pale and beautiful face twisted with such pleasure. Finally unable to stand it, Sasuke pulled Sakura into his arms and pushed her back onto the bed, his body sliding flush against hers and a look of such ecstasy on Sasuke's face that Itachi had to turn away. Sliding open the door to his room, Itachi couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that was consuming him. A desire so utterly wrong and disturbing he felt he had to be going insane just for feeling it at all. The desire to see Sasuke look like that for him.

Stepping into his room, covered in blood and sweat, and completely hard, Itachi noticed Ruka sitting on his bed as he had requested. Without a word, Itachi started pulling her clothes off, ignoring the fearful look in her eye. Allowing himself free reign of her body, Itachi convinced himself the thought of her waiting here for him had been the true reason of his arousal and was ready to fuck her senseless, having not even discarded any of his uniform. However, the uncertain sound of her calling his name made him pause and look up at her for the first time.

"There's blood all over your face," she said, her voice shaking with fear and disgust.

"Don't worry," Itachi muttered, "It's not mine," before taking her completely.

# # #

Itachi rose early letting the steam of the shower cloud his senses. The shame that burned in his mind was not washing away as he wished it would, and seemed to be taking over his sanity. Every sound Ruka had made sounded like his precious little brother, and every time he sank into her, he saw Sasuke's look of unadulterated pleasure behind closed eyes.

Itachi couldn't explain it. He had never found himself attracted to men before, and had always taken the greatest pleasure in his female conquests. He wouldn't deny he had admired his brother's youthful beauty, but it was the same admiration he held for himself. Never had he confused it before last night as he did then. Sighing, Itachi shut off the water and went back out into his room. Seeing Ruka getting dressed, she eyed him wearily, as if unsure how to act.

"Itachi-sama," she said bowing.

Itachi nodded to her just as he noticed the door open to reveal a very bemused Sasuke. He paused, clearly not expecting to find Ruka standing there and Itachi watching him with a curious expression.

"Sorry," he muttered, "Itachi--Father wants to see us as soon as possible."

Sasuke kept his eyes on the ground as turned to leave abruptly.

"Sasuke," Itachi said, bringing him to a halt. "Any trouble getting Sakura home?"

Sasuke turned back to look at him as if he had just been busted, but Itachi's amused look allowed him to relax a bit.

A muttered, "She's still here," was nearly lost as Sasuke left the room leaving Itachi staring after him.

# # #

Sasuke sat on his knees and bowed respectfully to his father as he came and sat before him and his brother.

"Itachi," Fugaku said. "Any progress?"

Itachi looked up with an impassive look. "Yes."

"Good."

"Sasuke," his father stated, addressing him with a sterner voice than Itachi had got, "When are you taking the Jonin exams?"

Sasuke cringed at the question. "Soon."

"You better," was all he got.

"Now," he said, "I have something very important to discuss with the two of you. As you might have noticed, there has been some recent tension between our clan and the village elders. The truth is, this has been going on much longer than either of you might have noticed, and this time the village has taken it too far. Itachi is constantly under strain from missions that they should have other shinobi qualified to do, taking him away from his focus as the next leader of the Uchiha clan. The village has grown weak, relying on us for everything, while still suppressing us with the power they dangle over our head. The Uchiha elders and I have decided that the clan is finally ready. With an alliance with the misplaced Fuma clan, the Uchiha will take control of Konoha as it was meant to have and restore the prestige of our clan and village."

Sasuke sat completely still, his calm expression hiding the burning shock he felt radiating within him. Was his father talking about a coup d'état? Was he serious? He acted as if Itachi were the only skilled shinobi in the entire village! Surely he was one of the _most_ skilled, but it would be madness to attack the village.

Sasuke thoughts were broken when Itachi spoke exactly what he had been thinking to which Fugaku replied, "And that is why we have made a deal with the Fuma clan."

Sasuke caught the skeptical look on his brother's face. "The Fuma clan does not trust anyone," Itachi said, "what have you bargained to enlist them in this senseless revolt?"

Fugaku looked up, his face suddenly very aged. "We have agreed to allow them to have the sharingan with the agreement that the clan will have a permanent alliance with the Uchiha. It is my and the elders desire for this 'new' clan to one day merge with the Uchiha. But that hardly is of concern right now. Taking the village is crucial."

"I won't be a part of it," Itachi stated, his face just as stoic as ever.

Sasuke looked to his father, feeling as if he had missed something when Fugaku turned his gaze to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, do you understand your position?" he asked.

Anger welled up in his chest as he stared at his father. "No. I don't understand my position. I refuse to have anything to do with this. The village does not need the Uchiha to take power. It's my own sensei who is the favorite to be the next Hokage--why should I betray those who have made me what I am?" Sasuke shouted.

Fugaku looked livid, "It is the Uchiha clan who have made you what you are, make no mistake. Without that Sharingan you would be nothing, do you understand Sasuke?"

Itachi glanced at Sasuke and back to Fugaku and spoke quietly, "Why don't you tell him already what you intend for him?"

Fugaku glared at Itachi but closed his eyes and spoke anyway. "Sasuke, as my only other heir, you are to marry the leader of the Fuma clan's daughter. They will accept no one of less purity to ensure the sharingan passage in their bloodlines."

Sasuke stared dumbstruck at his father. The bastard wouldn't even look at him and his throat was so tight he couldn't even speak.

"You will leave in one month's time. The day after you arrive, you will marry and bed the daughter, and the following morning is when the attack will be launched," he continued.

Sasuke sank back on his knees and let his gaze fall to the floor.

Itachi watched his younger brother, defeat drowning him in misery. He knew what Sasuke was thinking about. That precious little pinkette probably in his room using his shower and that blond dope of a teammate he had. He spent nearly every night at the Ramen stand with his team. That world he lived in, free from harm and surrounded by such undiluted happiness had just slipped away from him.

Itachi felt a twinge of guilt as he realized he had failed to protect Sasuke from a taste of his life.

"Father," Itachi said, snapping Sasuke's head up towards him, "This should not be Sasuke's burden to carry. I will carry out this task."

"No, Itachi," Fugaku said.

The slight shimmer of hope in Sasuke's eyes died.

"Sasuke cannot replace you, even if you could replace him. He is not suited, nor do I believe he ever will be, to become the leader of this clan," he said, a note of finality ringing through his voice.

When Sasuke entered his bedroom and saw Sakura towel drying her hair, she greeted him with the sweetest smile he had ever seen. His stomach twisted and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Sasuke-kun," she started until she noticed the look on his face, "Sasuke? Is something wrong?"

"You have to leave, Sakura," he said in a hollow voice.

Sakura stared at him, the towel slipping from her hand. She tried to reach out to him, but he brushed her hand away.

"Just go."

# # #

Sasuke leaned against the railings of the bridge watching Naruto pace in front of him.

"Ya know," Naruto started off on another rant, "I'm used to Kakashi-sensei being late, but where the heck is Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke felt the nausea rise back up in his stomach and closed his eyes. He had a pretty good idea as to why she wasn't there yet. Flashes of her from the night before left him with an unpleasant heat on his face. It hadn't been long after that bold move of hers that day when they had sparred that he had kissed her. And it hadn't been long after that that he had taken her home with him. Just when he felt that things were beginning to fall into their natural place in his life, everything had been turned upside down. With Sakura as more than a teammate, he would see her often enough and he knew he could never escape the Dobe, and it wouldn't have been hard for them to move on in their careers. Fear of losing one another would have been abandoned, and finally his father would have shown a little more faith in him.

But it was too late for that now. There was nothing he could do. Soon the village would know of his doomed marriage to be and despise the Uchiha for their unwanted dominance over Konoha. Sasuke wanted to protect his friends from what was to come, but he didn't think he could even protect himself.

"Sakura-chan!!"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open to see the dobe facing their approaching teammate. Unwillingly, Sasuke glanced over at her. The guilt was to be expected, but what he didn't expect was the sharp pain he felt in his chest at how haggard she looked. Tearing his eyes away from her, he closed them again, determined to remain nonchalant.

"Sakura-chan! Why were you so late?"

There was a long pause.

"I just overslept; I was up late last night," Sakura said.

Sasuke winced at the unintentional truth in her lie. He could feel her eyes burning into him as she felt certain he didn't know she was watching him, weary herself of the unintentional implication of what she said.

"You never oversleep, though, Sakura," Naruto said. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Naruto, will you drop it already?" she asked.

"Hey teme!" Naruto shouted. "How come you haven't even taken one look at Sakura since I asked her if she was alright. Did something happen between you two?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open way too fast. As he caught Naruto's eyes, Sasuke saw them widen significantly.

Well. That was it. He had done it now.

"Did you hurt Sakura-chan TEME?" Naruto burst out, grabbing his collar and shoving him back into the railings causing a great discomfort in Sasuke's back.

"Naruto, will you stop it, Sasuke didn't do anything," Sakura said.

But the look in Sasuke's eyes told him otherwise. As much as Sasuke wanted to pick a fight for Naruto's bold stunt he just pulled with him, he couldn't help but feel nothing but overwhelming sadness at the realization that he and Naruto's spats were numbered.

"Answer me, teme!"

Sasuke finally shoved Naruto off of him and said, "Look, dobe, it's none of your business."

Naruto looked at him like he had never seen him before. With eyes that accused. That burned. His words were like a confirmation, and it was more than just the fact that Sasuke had, in fact, hurt Sakura, it was that he had betrayed their bond. A wound to one of them was like a wound to all, and Sasuke felt the pain of his betrayal to Naruto as if it were his own, all from just the look in his eyes.

# # #

Realizing he couldn't handle being near his old team, Sasuke bailed citing clan business to Kakashi and found himself walking down a path to nowhere. The ground beneath his feet was dry and hard, desperate for a rain that was not due for weeks. As he walked on, he felt the ground soften, and noticed that his surroundings had darkened.

He had walked into the forest to where Itachi trained. Strange, Sasuke thought, that he had ended up here when his mind was so clouded. Walking to where Itachi had the targets set up, he sat down and leaned against a tree.

Sasuke wished Itachi wasn't gone so often. He could really use someone to talk to about all of this. The entire situation was like a bad dream and he felt that he had only to wake up to be rid of it. But that was just wishful thinking.

The pain he had seen in Sakura's expression as he told her to leave was branded into his mind's eye, forever there to torment him. It couldn't be helped though. It was better for her to hate him for using her than know how much he cared when he couldn't be with her. There was nothing she could do.

There was nothing he could do.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up to see Itachi wearing his sparring clothes.

"What are you doing, Itachi? I thought you had a mission."

"The village has decided to give me some time off to appease our elder's recent irritations. All they are really trying to do is create excuses for the coup later so they don't seem like such warmongers. It backfired when the village suddenly yielded to their demands though. It's all just proof that the clan has no real need for such defiance—they just want more power," Itachi said, throwing one of his kunai at the target.

Sasuke closed his eyes. The entire situation was absurd. "Can't you do something, Itachi? Convince the elders this is a bad decision?"

Itachi scowled for a moment. "If they listened to me, the Uchiha clan would have been disbanded long ago."

Sasuke sighed. "I don't want to go, Itachi. I don't want this to happen at all."

Itachi sent a kunai at an odd angle and struck the target on the tree above Sasuke's head.

"Then don't."

"He'll disown me... or kill me," Sasuke muttered.

"He couldn't kill you even if he wanted to. He would have to send me, and you don't have to worry about that. No one else in our clan could take you. Besides, I'll become the leader of the clan in a few years and then I will un-disown you," Itachi said, smiling slightly.

Sasuke looked up at him hopefully. "Do you think I could really get away with defying him? And that once you're the clan leader, the village will forgive the actions of our clan?"

"Oh I doubt we'll be forgiven," Itachi mused, "but it's not as if we are trusted much as it is... Listen, Sasuke. He can't make you do anything, so if you don't want to go, then don't go. He can find another way to satisfy the deal with the Fuma."

# # #

That night, Sasuke found himself outside of Sakura's apartment. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened and Sakura stared at him with tears in her eyes.

"Your chakra signature has been flaring for the last twenty minutes," she said. "Do you want to come in or not?"

Sasuke's gaze fell to the floor as he stepped inside. Sasuke stood still as Sakura ran around the apartment busying herself with trivial activities.

"Sakura," he said, trying to get her to stop. She kept rearranging pictures on a table.

"Sakura."

Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the pictures and into his arms.

"I'm sorry."

And just like that, she was sobbing into his chest, no questions and no anger.

# # #

"Make it quick, Sasuke," Fugaku said.

"I wanted to inform you that I will not be marrying the Fuma girl."

Silence.

"Yes, you are. Get out."

"No. I'm not."

"If you betray this clan in such a manner, I will have you executed for treason!" Fugaku exclaimed, raising his hand and striking Sasuke before he even knew what was happening.

Sensing another blow coming, Sasuke's sharingan flared and his father was struck with a rather powerful genjutsu, the resounding thud of his body hitting the floor sending panic throughout Sasuke's body. Eyes widened in fear at what he had just done, he turned and left the room only to find his brother just outside the door.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped, his heart still beating furiously in his chest. Blood was trickling down his lip and into his mouth, but he didn't move.

"Don't worry. I'll tell him I did it. He wouldn't believe you to be capable of such a powerful genjutsu anyway," Itachi mused.

"Itachi, what do I do?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi caught sight of his brother's distraught expression and he couldn't help but hate himself for what he had to tell Sasuke.

"Right now, the only option we have is to tell the village about the Uchiha's plot... If you defy him and he demands your punishment, the village will yield to his will right now unless we tell them the truth. However, if we do, we will also be charged for conspiracy and withholding potentially threatening information," Itachi said.

The blood had drained away from Sasuke's face.

"So that's it."

Sasuke passed Itachi like a ghost, any presence of life gone from him like he had disappeared into an endless black void.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading. Please review!!_


	2. The Massacre

Chapter Two: The Massacre

The weeks passed, and the days grew colder, but nothing really changed. Konoha was just as thriving as it always had been, and as Sasuke walked through the markets, he felt guilt fall heavily on his shoulders. This peace was about to be disrupted and possibly destroyed because of his clan and there was nothing he could do about it. He had tried to act normal, and tried to enjoy the last few weeks of his life before he was sent away, but rather than soaking up the happiness, he could only succumb to the pain that he was certain to feel when he was gone from them. That's why he had been avoiding Naruto and Sakura the last few days. It was just too hard to be around them anymore knowing their lives were about to change completely. It left a hollow feeling in Sasuke's chest that physically hurt. Pausing outside of the Ichiraku Ramen stand, Sasuke felt a flood of memories burden his already aching heart and closed his eyes. It was only a few agonizing moments that felt like a lifetime before he felt a hand on his arm.

Sakura smiled at him with her girlish grin and gently tugged at his sleeve so that he would follow her. Unable to resist her presence, Sasuke went along with her to her apartment, letting her pull him inside. When he still hadn't said anything, she gave him an odd look.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke found her gaze and closed the small space between them, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. That night, Sasuke left Sakura alone in her bed, the sheen on her skin from their lovemaking still present, without a word.

# # #

_- The Day Before Sasuke's Departure -_

Sasuke sat, head in his hands, at the edge of his bed. He had little desire to carry out his day as he was supposed to. He had been living a lie for the past month, but he just didn't think he could do it anymore. Looking up as the door clicked open, Sasuke saw Itachi enter his room and close the door behind him.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?" he asked.

Sasuke's face paled at the thought of Sakura. She was probably crying that very moment after waking to find him gone... or she had awoken in the night to find him gone and laid awake all night wondering what was wrong. Sasuke just couldn't do it. He couldn't pretend like everything was alright and hold her as she slept. It had been a mistake to go with her at all, but he couldn't resist. Losing Sakura was going to hurt, he knew, but thinking of what he was about to put her through was worse.

Sasuke rose and walked past his brother, his posture resolute.

"I'll be back later."

# # #

The shining emerald color of her eyes had never stood out to Sasuke as much as it did now. They looked like glass, as if one tear would shatter them to pieces, and every second he sat there watching her, the closer and closer they got to shattering. The longer he watched her, the more he lost his nerve and the tighter something clenched at his heart.

Finally tearing his eyes away from Sakura, Sasuke returned back to the shell of his former self that had dominated his actions for the last month.

"I'm leaving, Sakura."

He could feel the piercing pain in her eyes even as he closed them to her sorrow.

"What... do you mean, Sasuke?"

"Let me make it clear, Sakura," Sasuke said, fixing a cold stare on her fragile gaze. "The past few weeks have just been something to kill my time until now. I have important matters to attend to... you were just here to keep my bed warm, so don't get hung up when I don't come back."

That was when it happened. The first tear left her shattered. The sharp pieces that fell seemed to catch the fragile look she had before and turn it into a nasty glare as anger and agony swept over her.

"You're lying, Sasuke Uchiha," she said, trembling, though resolute in her accusation.

Sasuke choked back his love, his memories, his pride, and his life as he once knew it when he smirked at Sakura and looked her straight in the eye.

"No. You just wish I were."

# # #

Itachi lied on his bed staring at the ceiling. He had been trying to decide what to do for weeks and here he was, days away from the attack and he hadn't come to a conclusion yet. For the next hour, Itachi ran through scenario after scenario in his mind of what would result in each plan. Nothing worked. No matter how he worked the situation, he could see no way to avoid a war should the clan go through with this plan. He had pleaded his case to the elders repeatedly only to hear he still had much to learn before he becomes the clan leader. There could be no reasoning.

A door slamming in the hall made Itachi break from his thoughts and listen to what was going on.

"I don't know where the hell you are going, Teme, but if you don't go apologize to Sakura-chan, then I'll drag you over there myself! Where did you get the idea to talk to her like that? I don't know what's going on, Sasuke, but whatever it is, it has to stop."

Itachi heard the door slam again and furious stomps down the stairs. Naruto sure could be loud. All the way from his father's study Itachi could hear him.

"Where are you sending Sasuke?" Naruto shouted.

Itachi closed his eyes as he heard his father shout at Naruto to get out of his house, claiming clan business had nothing to do with him and that Sasuke was his to do with as he wishes.

_Yours to do with as you wish, huh?_ Itachi thought.

# # #

Itachi found Shisui waiting for him at the bridge.

"I can't pull it off, Itachi. You have to do it," he said without looking up. "We both know what will happen if we don't stop this. The aftermath would be a hundred times worse than the loss of our clan. If the clan launches such a large scale attack on the village with the Fuma clan as its ally, the entire shinobi world will break out into war. Stopping Sasuke from going means nothing. It if isn't him, it will be someone else. Our clan is power hungry."

Itachi was quiet for a long moment before speaking. "I want you to take Ruka and get out of here. I want you to disappear. I'll come up with a cover story for you later, but for now, just stay away, alright? I'll find you."

Shisui watched him expressionlessly. "You know that won't work, Itachi."

"She's pregnant, Shisui," Itachi whispered, his voice choked in a way Shisui had never heard.

At that moment, he felt worse for Itachi than he did for himself. He was going to die... but Itachi had to choose his own child, or his own brother.

"You have to pick one of them, Itachi. They can't both go with you, it would be too suspicious," he said. "After I complete your ANBU assignment, I'll return and be found sometime later and it will be assumed it occurred the night of the slaying. That way you have a solid alibi."

Itachi's eyes tightened and closed. "I don't know if I can do it."

Shisui sighed. "You have to choose Itachi. Sasuke is the best choice simply because he is much more of a candidate for entering the ANBU Black Ops. There will be no suspicion of him being on this mission with you getting his requisite field hours. But with Ruka... it will seem strange."

Itachi gripped the railings hard. "I would have chosen Sasuke anyway."

# # #

Walking through the Uchiha compound that night felt like walking through a graveyard despite the lively atmosphere surrounding him. It was as if the poison the Uchiha clan had injected into his life had suddenly infected the world and everything in it.

Reaching his house, Itachi found Sasuke in his room and motioned for him to follow. Not amused, Sasuke watched Itachi oddly as they came to a halt in the middle of the forest.

"What did you bring me out here for, Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

"You're not going anywhere tomorrow, Sasuke," Itachi said.

Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. "Stop fucking around, Itachi, what do you want?"

"The state of the shinobi world has recently come to my attention. Peace is fragile, and easily broken. One step out of line and a war could consume the entire region. Such is the case of our clan's planned attack on the village one day after tomorrow," he said.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? A war would be likely to break out should the Uchiha attack the village?"

"No. I'm saying a war _will_ break out should the Uchiha move forward. I've collected the intelligence myself. The Land of Lightning is just waiting for the right moment to attack Konoha. Should we show any sign of weakness, it will leave us wide open for a thrust from outside while we are dealing with a thrust from within. The village would crumble and the balance of power would shift, launching all other shinobi villages into war to attempt to restore that balance. The Uchiha elders refuse to acknowledge my words. They say the intelligence is the village's way of keeping us in submission; just scare tactics. The Uchiha are about to serve everyone a death sentence," Itachi finished.

Sasuke stood stunned, staring at Itachi as if he refused to believe him. "What are you suggesting, Itachi?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "I thought that would be clear by now, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. There has to be another way. We'll go to Father and make him listen."

"That worked well last time, didn't it?"

"Then we'll go to the Hokage," Sasuke rambled. "If prepared they will be able to keep the revolt at a minimum."

"You are underestimating the strength of the clans. Even with warning, Konoha will be forced into civil war," Itachi said.

"Then they will prevent it before it happens!" Sasuke shouted.

"In which case we will be locked up and our entire clan will perish. The blood will stain Konoha's lands, forever tarnishing the reputation of the village. No, Sasuke, there is only one way to deal with this," he said.

Sasuke took a step back from his brother as Itachi met his gaze with a steady look.

"Sasuke... I can't do it alone."

Sasuke's mind reeled with images of his mother and father, his cousins and friends... Then images of their dead bodies next to Sakura and Naruto's... and Kakashi's and the others...

Sasuke fell to his knees, a harsh cry sounding in the still air. Hot tears rushed down his skin as his fingernails dragged through the dirt. This couldn't be happening...

"Sasuke."

Itachi's sharp voice made Sasuke fall silent and the spinning tomoes of his sharingan were hypnotizing. As if a fresh wave of calm had washed over him, the pain eased, and the goal became clear. Sasuke understood what had to happen, and as much as it sickened him, he would prefer that the pile of bodies not include those of his friends as well. Reason flooded Sasuke's mind as Itachi's sharingan came to a halt.

"I understand, Itachi."

"Good. When we get back to the house, you will change into one of my ANBU uniforms, but take two masks. One will look like mine, one will not. You will be accompanying me on a mission tonight out of the village as a requisite for your entrance into ANBU Black Ops, do you understand? We will then reroute back to the Uchiha district. That is when you will put on my mask. Should anyone see either of us, they will think it was me and you will not be held accountable. Do you understand what must happen next, Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"You will take the south district. Leave no one alive," Itachi said quietly.

# # #

The house was silent as Itachi stepped into Ruka's room. He wouldn't deny that she was nothing more than a lover, but still... she was the lover that was carrying his child and that he had planned to marry. Her body was still as she watched Itachi cross the room, the blood staining his ANBU vest.

"I feel like every time I see you, you are covered in blood," she said distantly.

Itachi closed his eyes. "It is the fate of our clan, to drench it's offspring in blood."

Itachi watched as her hand drifted to her stomach and a knot of tension twisted within him.

"It seems you are right... Itachi."

"I'm sorry, Ruka, that I couldn't find another way," Itachi said, pulling her against him.

Her breath caught as Itachi stabbed her in the back, piercing her heart, feeling the jolt run through his chest.

"I know... you didn't want this..." she whispered, her eyes fading as she used her last bit of strength to place a kiss on Itachi's lips.

Closing his eyes, Itachi kissed her one last time before he laid her on the bed where the blood would soak the sheets until it was all drained from her body. His eyes lingered on her waist for a moment before he was gone.

# # #

Sasuke stood alone outside of his house, his objective complete. His body was shaking ever so slightly, and he could feel the effects of Itachi's genjutsu wearing off. The acrid smell of blood was soaked into his skin and the cries that were once dulled in his mind were now getting louder. Without thinking, he entered his home, following the familiar hall to his father's study. The house was quiet and a sense of dread welled up inside of him. Sliding open the door to his father's study, Sasuke stepped inside.

There, sitting at the table, were his mother and father. His mother looked up and looked confused for a moment before horror took over.

"Sasuke! What are you doing, dear! Why are you covered in blood?" she asked, getting up.

"Better yet," Fugaku said, "Why are you in an ANBU uniform?"

Unable to move, Sasuke said nothing. His father looked past him and said, "Itachi, what is the meaning of this?"

His voice was full of alarm at the sight of his oldest son, also in a full ANBU uniform, and also covered in blood.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a harsh shove, knocking his mask out of place as he crashed into the wall. Tearing his eyes open and blinking away the sweat, he watched as his brother sliced his blade against their skin. His mother was last to fall. Her breath was drawn in with great effort as she looked up at Itachi, only to have Itachi's blade fall directly on her heart. Itachi let go of the blade that pierced his mother's body and staggered back a few steps, letting his mask fall off of him, crashing to the floor. As he stared at her body, so gracefully draped across his father, he listened to the sound of his mask rolling on its edges, trying to settle into a final resting place. Her breaths... being sucked in so desperately... he couldn't listen to it...

Beside him, Itachi heard a loud thud as Sasuke fell to his knees, tears flooding his face. His breathing was labored, and Itachi felt his mask of false calm falter for a moment. That was when he saw Sasuke lift a kunai before him, prepared to drive it into his chest.

"Sasuke!"

Itachi slid across the floor grabbing Sasuke wrist just before the kunai would have broken the skin. Gripping tightly, Itachi forced Sasuke to let go of it, the clatter of the knife resounding through Itachi's mind like a thousand strikes of thunder. Bringing Sasuke's arms against him, Itachi pulled him against his chest, holding him in fear of another attempt at his own life. Fear like he had never known struck Itachi as he realized how close Sasuke had come to dying. He knew it would be hard for him to handle what they had to do, but he had never considered the possibility of this...

Pulling Sasuke to face him, Itachi mercifully captured him in a genjutsu, sending him into a dreamless sleep.

# # #

One week later, everything had been settled. Shisui's body had been found in the woods, but not before Itachi swiped the mission report from his pocket. It had taken him several minutes to leave behind his body. His alibi had been rock solid, Shisui's report having matched perfectly with the details of the murdered missing nin. Only murmurs of the tragedy were spoken, and whispers of how it was a shame that Itachi and his brother had been out of the village. People felt certain the renegade Fuma clan would never have been able to achieve such a feat if the main household's prodigies had been there. The Fuma clan had been blamed in the wake of Sasuke's refusal to follow through with the marriage, sparking a feud that led to the attack. The Fuma clan had fled when they heard the news.

# # #

Sasuke stood next to Itachi not meeting the eyes of anyone around him. He had lived in his brother's shadow ever since the funeral began. He could feel everyone watching him and could sense Naruto and Sakura's chakra signatures nearby. Tapping his brother on the shoulder, he seemed to understand, because he excused them so Sasuke could return home. He had seen enough of the bodies. He didn't need to see them again.

Later that evening Sasuke sat at the edge of the dock staring down into the water. The sun had set and the chill of the air calmed his nerves. He didn't want to go back to his house, because sleeping was the only way to end the suffering he felt, and then he was only plagued by nightmares.

Closing his eyes to a bitter wind that blew through, Sasuke sensed a familiar presence approaching.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked.

Sasuke heard Naruto sit down at the other side of the dock.

"Sasuke... what really happened?"

Naruto's words were like a trigger for his memories. They flooded his mind, leaving his breathing steeped.

"I know you didn't go on that mission because you were going to take the Jounin test to get into ANBU... you would have told me and Sakura. Did you know something, Sasuke?" he asked.

Wet streaks glinted in the lame moonlight on Sasuke's face. Then he let out the breath he had been holding and spoke in a harsh voice.

"I killed them."

Sasuke felt Naruto stiffen and rise from the dock.

"What did you say?"

Sasuke didn't move or say anything.

"Tell me you're lying, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "Because you didn't want to marry the Fuma girl? You have got to be kidding me!"

Sasuke, lost in his thoughts, didn't even hear Naruto. Not knowing what to do, Naruto left Sasuke alone in his misery.

# # #

It had been a few weeks since the funeral and Sakura was beginning to worry more than any one person should. The problems she and Sasuke had been having made sense after she learned of the arranged marriage... No wonder he had been so cold. But Sasuke had yet to return to team seven and Naruto hadn't even made a huge deal out of it. She had expected him to be talking about Sasuke non-stop and begging Kakashi-sensei to let them go see him, but he hadn't said a single word. When she asked Naruto about it, he would change the subject. She knew he was keeping something from her, and had she wanted to press the matter, she could have forced it out of him. But she was scared. Scared of what kind of truth could make Naruto so reserved.

# # #

Naruto had waited as long as he could. He hadn't spoken to Sasuke since that day at the dock and since then, Naruto had convinced himself that his friend was just suffering and felt responsible for some reason.

But he had to know.

Pushing open Sasuke's balcony door Naruto entered his room and found Sasuke lying on his bed with the lights out, his eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling. He didn't even move when Naruto entered his room. Naruto would be lying if he said Sasuke's demeanor didn't frighten him a bit. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, eyes glazed over like he the world had vanished.

"Sasuke?"

To Naruto's surprise Sasuke looked over at him, gently turning his head in his direction.

"Sasuke, why haven't you come back to team seven? We would be there for you... you know that..."

Sasuke glared at him. "I don't want to see any of you."

Scowling, Naruto shouted at Sasuke. "What the hell happened to you, Sasuke?"

In a flash, Sasuke had Naruto shoved against the wall, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "This is all your fault! If I hadn't been so worried about you and Sakura I would have never went through with it!"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Sasuke... what are you talking about?"

Furious, Sasuke gripped Naruto by the throat, insisting he understand the suffocating pain he felt all because of him when someone grabbed him and threw him across the floor, away from Naruto. Feeling the ache of the impact, Sasuke tore his eyes open and saw his brother looking down at him, his eyes tighter than usual.

"That's enough, Sasuke," Itachi said. "Naruto-kun, would you please come with me. Sasuke should be left alone for the moment."

Sasuke eyed Naruto dangerously as he followed Itachi out of the room.

# # #

"Naruto-kun," Itachi said, turning to face him once they were downstairs. "You must forgive my brother. He hasn't been himself lately."

Naruto watched Itachi suspiciously. "What really happened? Is Sasuke telling the truth? Did he have anything to do with this?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "Sasuke is telling you the truth, yes, but he is not telling you all of it."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as Itachi waited for his reaction. "Let's hear it then."

"Fine, " Itachi said. "But you must speak of this to no one, unless you deem it necessary to tell that pink haired teammate of yours."

Naruto nodded.

Itachi explained the situation in full to Naruto, finishing with an explanation for what Sasuke had said to him about how it was their fault.

"Sasuke's guilt is only building instead of washing away with time... I'm not sure what to do for him," Itachi said, his stoic expression slipping for a brief moment.

Naruto watched him stunned before he sat down on the couch and stared at the floor for several long moments.

"I think that you and Sakura should come to see him even if he doesn't want you to. After all, it was for you two that he went through with it at all."

# # #

After two more weeks, Sasuke showed no real signs of change. Itachi's leave was over and his missions were longer and in greater number. He didn't like leaving Sasuke alone so much, scared of what he might do, but thankfully his frightening suicide attempt seemed to be a onetime thing.

It wasn't like Itachi didn't have nightmares of his own... it was just that Sasuke's state scared him more than his nightmares. He'd often see a small child waiting for him when he closed his eyes, blood dripping down his face, falling from his sharingan eyes. Then, he would die, and no matter how hard Itachi tried to save him, he never could.

One evening, Itachi arrived back from his mission early and found Sakura at his front door with a basket in her hands. She looked impassive, which was the first clue to her state of misery. Every time he had ever seen her before her eyes were shining like glittering diamonds, but now the luster was gone and her smile non-existent. Approaching the door he opening it and went inside, allowing her to step in behind him.

"How long have you been here?" Itachi asked.

Sakura looked at the ground. "About half an hour."

Itachi watched her for a moment and wondered if she was perhaps worse off than his brother.

"Would you ask Sasuke-kun if he would see me?" she asked.

Itachi nodded and disappeared into the hall. He knew he would say no, but he understood the drill by now. Sakura didn't want to bother him if he didn't want to see her. Pushing open Sasuke's door, Itachi entered the dark room and flicked a light on.

"Sakura is here to see you, Sasuke. Why don't you come downstairs," he said.

Sasuke turned his head and looked over at his brother. "When did you get home?"

"Just now," he said. "She brought you food."

Sasuke turned his head back to its original position. "I don't want to see her."

Itachi sighed and went back downstairs. He simply shook his head at the girl. Smiling sadly she nodded.

"Here, Itachi-san," she said, handing him the basket. "You look like you could use a good meal."

Itachi took it from her and thanked her before she left.

# # #

"I know you miss them, Sasuke," Itachi said. "Why won't you see her? She is suffering just as much as you."

Sasuke didn't answer him. They were sitting at the table, eating the meal Sakura had made.

"Itachi," Sasuke said abruptly. "I want to fight."

Itachi looked up at Sasuke, seeing the fire that had once always lit his eyes. "Fine."

Everyone watched Sasuke as they walked through the village, but it didn't seem that Sasuke even noticed. When they reached the training grounds, night had fallen already.

"What kind of sparring session do you want, Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke smirked. "I don't want to spar, I want to fight. For real."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Alright, but why?"

Sasuke's smirk faded. "I want to fight and feel resistance... and not just empty slaughtering."

Itachi felt like Sasuke had dealt him a blow to the stomach as he understood what he meant. No wonder he wanted nothing to do with the shinobi life since the massacre.

Itachi nodded and immediately cast a genjutsu. The fight lasted a lot longer than Itachi had anticipated. Sasuke apparently had a lot of pent up energy. Finally breaking Sasuke's final gen-jutsu, Itachi found himself directly facing Sasuke, still lost in an illusion. Rather than disabling him as he should have, Itachi simply inflicted enough pain to break the illusion and send Sasuke to his knees. Moving away, he sensed Sasuke's fire style attack and moved out of its path with ease, avoiding an opportunity to take Sasuke down again.

Then, Sasuke was before him, his expression furious. "Why aren't you fighting me for real? Stop fucking around, Itachi, if you can take me down, do it!"

Itachi ignored Sasuke and the fight continued. After several more minutes, and Itachi blatantly avoiding a chance to seriously injure Sasuke, his brother's rage caught him off guard.

"Itachi!" Sasuke shouted. "I have taken every opportunity, even those that meant death to defeat you. I expect the same from you. I told you not to go easy on me."

Something about the way Sasuke was shouting at him struck a nerve. Irritated, Itachi grabbed Sasuke's wrist, causing a clean break, and pinned him to the ground, one hand behind his neck and another twisting his arm at an odd angle behind his back. His body was pressed down on Sasuke's, his weight keeping him from moving. Itachi glared at Sasuke, seeing him struggle to breathe under his hold. Itachi felt certain he had crushed some of his ribs on impact. Fear of puncturing a lung rose and he released Sasuke from the hold.

With great effort, Sasuke turned and looked up at his brother, astonished and in pain at the same time. There was something else in that look that Itachi couldn't quite place, but for the first time in months, he felt like Sasuke was becoming a little more like his old self.

# # #

That night Itachi lay awake in bed for a long time. He felt guilty for hurting Sasuke and giving into his anger at Sasuke's prodding. However, oddly enough, the pain seemed to help him.

But that wasn't the only reason Itachi couldn't sleep.

It had been a long time since he had thought about his brother in a less than admirable manner, but when Sasuke had been beneath him, squirming and struggling, he could help realize what position he was in on top of him.

Closing his eyes Itachi sighed trying to rid himself of such dishonorable thoughts, but it was only a moment later that he heard Sasuke's painful screams of terror as he experienced another nightmare.

# # #

_Sasuke stared down at the blood in his hands, spreading up his arms. Looking down again, Sasuke saw that the blood was not his, but it was coming from the body lying there... It had fallen so easily, with hardly any effort... _

_"Sasuke... It's over, there's nothing you can do."_

_Sasuke felt hands trying to pull him away from the body, but for some reason he couldn't let go of it. He was clinging to it like it was all that was giving him life... he couldn't let them take him away. Naruto's voice kept trying to calm him, to drag him back, and Sakura's sounded distant, but she too was trying to make him leave. Then, despite fighting with everything he had, they had succeeded in pulling him away._

_"Sasuke... there's a fire. If you don't come with us, it will kill you," Sakura cried._

_That was when Sasuke saw the flames. They were before him... they were everywhere, and finally, he had pulled free from their grasp and escaped into the fire..._

_"Sasuke! Sasuke!"_

"Wake up, Sasuke!"

Itachi stared at his little brother trembling in his arms. He had entered Sasuke's room to find him crying into the bed and when he tried to get near him, he fought him off viciously. Finally, Sasuke had broken free from his grasp only to grasp him tightly and shove him into the door.

Itachi stared at Sasuke. His eyes were wild and his expression so scared Itachi was getting chills just watching him. His hands clutched at his shirt harshly, and his body trembled. But then, slowly, the insanity in his eyes passed, and his grip lessened. Uncomfortable with Sasuke so close to him, Itachi pushed him back away from him.

"Go back to sleep, Sasuke," he muttered before leaving the room.

* * *

_Please Review! Story is finished and at 30,000 words. ItaSasu goodiness on the way. Promise._


	3. Sasuke Breaks

_Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know this is my first yaoi story (at least first real attempt). Anyone who has got to this chapter without realizing this is Uchihacest, stop now! I don't want a ton of "OMG I didn't know this was yaoi!!!!!" It is. Someone mentioned how Sasuke seems out of character with Sakura, and I agree 100%. That was one motivation to write this AU because I wanted to explore how he might be different had the massacre not happened when it did. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I appreciate it very much. Be warned of some detailed lemons coming up... Oh yeah, and for all you guys that might have me on author alert because of my SasuSaku stories, I apologize! That is my main pairing I write for, and this one fic doesn't mean I am not going back to that next time._

Chapter Three: Sasuke Breaks

Sasuke walked the once familiar path to meet his team at the bridge. It had been a few weeks since the incident with Itachi that seemed to put both brothers on edge. Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling he had when he had awoken to see Itachi there before him... he had been within the fire that Sasuke so desperately wanted to go towards... It just didn't make sense to him.

When he got there, Naruto and Sakura were there, waiting for him like usual. It had only been yesterday that he had come back to their team and the strangeness of it all hadn't worn off. Sasuke was hoping that they would be their normal selves, but as he came to a halt near them, they just exchanged worried looks and didn't speak. Sakura barely looked at him, and Naruto went out of his way to not piss him off. It was strange that when he had always wanted of them felt so wrong. Mentally sighing, Sasuke waited for Kakashi in silence.

The next few weeks didn't yield any better results. Naruto and Sakura were practically walking on daggers around him. Everything was beginning to feel numb, like life was just an endless tunnel that he had to walk, only to get to the end and find an empty void. There was nothing to light the way, and everything felt cold. He wanted his life back... he wanted a future again, but nothing felt right and he was reminded of it every time he walked back to his house.

One evening after a mission, after Naruto and Kakashi had left, Sasuke and Sakura sat finishing the mission report as it was their turn. When Sakura finished writing it out, she sent it off to the Hokage and Sasuke turned to leave.

"Sasuke?"

Her voice sounded small and far away and Sasuke almost didn't realize she was calling his name. But he turned and faced her, surprised that she had spoken to him when it wasn't necessary.

Her hair had grown out again and he hadn't even realized it until he looked at her in that moment. She looked sad, like everything was wrong, but as if she had to speak.

"Do you want to come back to my place tonight?" she asked, fighting the tremble in her voice.

Sasuke didn't say anything, but turned to walk in the opposite direction. Sakura fell into step beside him. He could feel she was burning with something she wanted to say, but she never did. Cold hard silence was all that was between them.

He knew she hated herself for not being able to speak... and all she could offer him was to stay the night with her. She wanted to be something else to him, to truly make him feel better, but this was the best she could do, and they both knew it.

But still, she was glad to have him beside her.

When Sakura kissed him, he could feel her hesitation--something he had never noticed from her in bed before. It was like it wasn't even Sakura he was with. When she touched him, he couldn't feel the warmth he once did at her hand and he closed his eyes. He didn't feel anything. He was completely numb.

Sasuke left that night without a word, but unlike last time, he didn't feel guilty about it. Their missions, their friendship, their lives... he couldn't find any meaning in it anymore.

The next day Sasuke registered for the Jounin Exam.

# # #

By the end of the week, Sasuke's request to be routed into the ANBU Black Ops had been accepted. There were no tears or goodbyes. Team seven simply... disbanded. Sasuke had looked forward to the moment that he would officially not be part of the team any longer expecting to feel some kind of great loss, but there was nothing.

As the days passed, Sasuke completed mission after mission, his success rate the highest of any new member since his brother joined. It hadn't taken long for Naruto and Sakura to follow him into the Black Ops, but unlike him, they had been selected and their requests for teams denied. He wasn't sure why Naruto hadn't wanted to join the ANBU, but Sakura was just not cut out for such brutal missions. For the first time in a long while, Sasuke felt a twinge of emotion at her forced position. He wished they had just given her a squad of genin.

But the feeling was short lived, and the missions carried on. Sasuke hardly ever saw his brother, and when he did, there was little to say. Sasuke had adopted his calm exterior while he felt anything but on the inside. It infuriated him how Itachi could go on with his life as if nothing had happened.

That night Sasuke went on his first mission with a full team. Seeing Naruto there had been surprising, but he didn't say anything to his former teammate. There was nothing to be said. Their assignment was to investigate a possible Akatsuki members domain disguised as a local business. It turned out the 'local business' was a club, and Sasuke could hardly stand the noise and lights that were assaulting him. Annoyed, he began searching his part of the building finding several rooms with shady looking characters and their whores, but no Akatsuki member. The last room Sasuke checked looked much like the others, but when he turned to leave, he felt a kunai fly past his head as he dodged it. Recognizing a missing nin trademark slash on his forehead protector Sasuke smirked. The man violently attacked Sasuke, but it was futile. Sasuke easily disabled him and pinned him to the wall by his throat.

"Where is the Akatsuki member?" he asked.

The man simply gasped for air that Sasuke would allow. Furious at the man's weakness Sasuke sounded his disappointment with a low growl from the back of his throat.

"You're useless," Sasuke muttered as he viciously snapped the man's neck. Dropping the body to the floor, Sasuke turned back to the door to find Naruto standing there in his mask watching Sasuke.

Neither of them moved for several moments, sizing each other up. Getting bored, Sasuke brushed past Naruto without a word.

"Teme!" Naruto growled.

Pausing with amusement, Sasuke turned back to face him. "What?"

"That guy couldn't even speak... He could have had valuable information. Why did you kill him?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke removed his mask and glared at Naruto. "He was useless."

The next day Sasuke received a formal request from the Hokage to be seen in her office immediately.

"Explain yourself, Uchiha," Tsunade said, glaring at Sasuke.

"There's nothing to explain, Hokage-same. The guy had no information and he was a threat, so I eliminated him," Sasuke said casting a sideways glare at Naruto who had been in the office when he came in.

"Naruto tells a different story," she said. "From what I hear, Uchiha, you were out of line."

"Of course the dobe would think I was out of line for killing somebody," Sasuke said. "He never even wanted this position in the first place."

Naruto seemed to stiffen at the mention of Sasuke and killing in the same sentence.

The Hokage looked at Naruto as if looking for a response.

"Granny Tsunade, I think Sasuke needs an absence of leave for a while," Naruto said quietly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That was the last thing he needed.

"Then so be it. Sasuke Uchiha, you are henceforth suspended from your duties as a shinobi until further notice and not allowed to leave the village, is that understood?" she said.

Sasuke's was incredulous. "Just because the dobe says so?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, because 'the dobe' said so."

# # #

Sasuke spent the next week alone and in denial. Sakura nor Naruto came to visit, and Itachi was on a long mission he didn't know when he was supposed to be back from. He had never felt so alone in his life before. It was like a poison running through his veins keeping him from being able to escape the pain it caused... keeping him weak. Desperate to escape the dread he felt from succumbing to his state of misery, Sasuke left his room and quietly walked down the stairs.

He stood at the end of the hall from his father's study. He hadn't entered that room since that night, but he felt that perhaps, just maybe, coming to terms with it would help him get better.

When he entered the room, his world spun and he was standing there watching Itachi murder his parents. His face was perfectly composed, not a single drop emotion escaping from his cool facade. It was perfect... too perfect. Sasuke clenched his teeth in anger. Did he feel nothing at all? Did he know how much it hurt to watch his own mother gasp for her last breath? Suddenly, the loneliness was gone and all Sasuke felt was rage. The blood still stained the floor and Itachi was going about his life as he always had despite the way Sasuke suffered every day.

Furious Sasuke turned, unable to look at the crimson colored boards any longer only to find his brother standing in the open doorway watching his brother silently.

Sasuke's rage made his vision blur at the detached look on his brother's face.

"How can you look like that when you're in here?" Sasuke whispered. "How can you be so calm? How could you kill your own lover, Itachi? How?"

Sasuke didn't see a change in Itachi's expression at all. He was wearing his ANBU uniform that was splattered with days old blood, but the fact that he had done anything to merit afterthought was not present. The anger was boiling over the surface and Sasuke started shouting.

"Why did you make me help you? You didn't need me! You could have handled all of it yourself!" Sasuke shouted, his voice dripping hate. Grabbing Itachi, Sasuke slammed him against the wall, glaring into his crimson eyes. "You didn't have to do this to me! Why aren't you like me? Why don't you suffer like me?"

Sasuke breathed heavily, his rage taking a toll on him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so alive. Angry that he wasn't getting a reaction from him, Sasuke grabbed one of the kunai at his waist and made to slash at Itachi's throat, but he didn't even get close before Itachi gripped Sasuke's arm and exchanged places with him, his hand at Sasuke's throat with him against the wall.

"Is this what we've come to, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, his eyes suddenly tired.

Itachi was so close to him Sasuke couldn't move at all. He could smell the blood on him and wondered if Itachi could even distinguish the scent from his own anymore. Sasuke wished he could attack him again, make him react. He wanted to know what Itachi would do when he didn't want to kill his opponent. That time they had fought was the only time Sasuke had ever seen his stoic expression shatter with guilt and fear completely. Seeing Itachi like that made Sasuke feel something. His brother made him feel like life was worth living still when he broke character.

Itachi's eyes were burning into his like liquid fire and all Sasuke wanted to do was be buried inside of them, to feel that rage and pain... to know if the flames were really there. He wanted to feel what Itachi felt rather than the emptiness he felt all the time that no one else could get rid of. He wanted to go into the fire.

In his desperation to keep his brother from releasing him, Sasuke hooked his leg around Itachi's bringing him closer to him than he had been. Itachi let go of Sasuke's arm in confusion and realized his mistake too late. In a flash, the kunai in Sasuke's hand was at his throat, Sasuke's leg still holding him in his position that he was now stuck in.

Feeling his little brother's body so close against him was doing nothing for his deeply buried desires for Sasuke and the more and more Sasuke shifted, the more and more uncomfortable Itachi became. The blade was at this throat, pressing enough to draw a thin line of blood, but not hard enough for someone truly intending to cut. Due to this obvious observation, Itachi's face remained calm and collected because he knew Sasuke had no intention to actually kill him.

This seemed to only infuriate Sasuke further. Pulling the blade from his throat, Sasuke glared at Itachi. Then, he dragged the tip gently from his cheek to his lip, blood trickling down his face as he drew the cut. Itachi couldn't help but wince from the sting where so many nerves were inflicted. It was involuntary, but it seemed to appease Sasuke.

"I want to see your pain," Sasuke said, his eyes lost in his hate.

As the blood trickled from his lip and dripped onto Sasuke's blade, his eyes seemed to follow the blood back up to the source at the corner of his mouth. Fascinated at seeing his brother bleed, Sasuke couldn't resist the urge to taste it, to feel Itachi's pain, something he had never before been able to cause and see on display.

Sasuke briefly flitted his tongue out at the corner of Itachi's mouth, the metallic liquid shocking him at how hot it was. As if drunk from its taste in his mouth, Sasuke didn't move away from Itachi's mouth.

Itachi was frozen in shock, his eyes wide.

"You've stopped breathing," Sasuke commented, his smirk ringing through his words as he closed his eyes.

Horrified and fascinated by his brother's actions, Itachi didn't move as Sasuke kissed the corner of his mouth, his lips hungrily tasting the traces of blood from the shallow wound. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to either kill Sasuke now, or get away from him, but his body could do neither. He felt Sasuke's ease at his own shock and he didn't want to see his brother in the state he was in before. If this morbid experience was making him relax... then Itachi couldn't deny him. But Itachi would be utterly lying if he denied his own dormant desires also kept him from putting an end to his little brother's ministrations.

Sasuke knew Itachi was in shock, and he felt such overwhelming relief at the idea he couldn't make himself move away. He'd do anything to break Itachi and this urge pushed him until he had moved from the corner of his mouth and kissed him. His lips were wet and lapping greedily at Itachi's giving him pleasure he knew he shouldn't feel, but he kept going. The tension in Itachi's body was too much of a drug to his senses to deny. Letting his tongue run across Itachi's lower lip he felt a jolt run through his body. Everything became easy after that. Pushing his tongue into his mouth, Sasuke put more pressure into the kiss while simultaneously pulling Itachi closer to him. His tongue roamed his mouth forcing Itachi to respond to Sasuke forceful intrusion. Feeling something other than twisted pleasure at his brother's pain and discomfort, Sasuke deepened the kiss. He kept telling himself he only wanted a reaction from his older brother, but the longer and harder he kissed him, he began to recognize what was rising in his body for what it was--lust. Feeling his arousal, Sasuke violently broke the kiss, thrusting Itachi away from him enough to put several feet between them. Gasping to catch his breath, Sasuke's back was arched slightly as he glared up at his brother. When their eyes met, Sasuke's held nothing but pure contempt.

# # #

That night, Sakura woke up to someone beating on her door. Nervous of what could be so important to wake her up in the night, Sakura ran to get her door and thrust it open to see Sasuke standing there, his expression completely blank.

Sakura didn't even have time to react to his sudden emergence back into her life before he kissed her. His mouth was begging her for silent acceptance with the desperate way he kissed her. His arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her and touching her in ways she had dreamed about since the last time he had left her. Giving in, Sakura held him in her arms as he pushed her into her apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Sasuke's eyes were clenched tight as he poured out his frustration into Sakura. Her body was so unlike his, but he tried to ignore this. His assault of his brother had deeply disturbed him and he needed some kind of confirmation that he had only temporarily lost his mind and made out with his brother out of some kind of fucked up desire to feel his pain...

Sasuke forced Sakura down onto the couch holding her much tighter than he should have. Had he really just kissed his brother? The burning erection he felt at the mere memory made him sick, but he couldn't make the feeling go away. What had bothered him even more was that Itachi didn't have Sasuke's reaction before... Why hadn't Itachi pushed Sasuke off of him immediately? Why did he just go with it so easily?

_Damn him_, Sasuke though. He was always so unreadable.

At least that's what Sasuke kept telling himself. He refused to acknowledge the moments that Itachi had kissed him back. He refused to remember the hard length pressing against body. Sasuke ripped Sakura's night clothes off of her in frustration. Pressing his lips to hers roughly, Sasuke tried to think of her, or anything else but his brother. The memories of the fire that had consumed him so in his dream suddenly rushed into his mind. He kissed Sakura deeper and deeper, imagining the warmth that had made him feel so alive. His hands traced that burning fire he felt on her skin making Sakura feel the most passion from Sasuke since their first time. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she didn't even care... whatever it was, it was making him happy. But when Sasuke came inside of her, he felt a sense of guilt hit him as he saw her for the first time. She was completely ravished, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she watched him. He knew she was aware that this wasn't about her.

"It's alright, Sasuke... Anything you need from me... ever... is yours," she whispered, pulling him to her chest and holding his head there like a child.

As Sasuke lay there with Sakura, a sense of dread settled over him. His fire... the warmth that made him feel like he once did before the massacre... it was him. Itachi was this burning flame that gave him life, but the closer and closer he drew to it, the closer and closer he got to his own demise. The shame he felt at what had already happened was unbearable. He didn't think his pride would ever recover from kissing his own brother, but that didn't keep him from fucking Sakura senseless with the thought of him in his mind. Sasuke fell asleep that night in Sakura's arms, clutching him as if she were holding him together. She wanted to fix whatever it was causing him such pain and frustration, but she knew she couldn't. So she just held him.

# # #

The next day Sasuke found himself walking the familiar path to Team Seven's old meeting place at the bridge. He nearly walked right up to Naruto before he even realized he was there. When he finally saw him, Naruto was staring at him, leaning on the rail of the bridge. It was dark already, Sasuke having wasted the day away thinking about everything eating away at his conscious.

"What are you doing here, Teme?" Naruto asked, his eyes skeptical.

Sasuke said nothing as he leaned against the rail and looked out at the river. It felt like he was thrusting all of the pain he felt at everyone around him but he didn't care. He couldn't deal with it alone. Glancing sideways at Naruto, Sasuke analyzed his countenance, seeing how bothered he was by his sudden presence. He knew he was toying with their emotions, but he couldn't spare them the pain when he didn't even know what he was feeling. What he had done before... it was so out of the ordinary Sasuke didn't even know how to go about _thinking _about the bizarre situation let alone finding a proper solution for it. Seeing Naruto so stressed was unusual for him, and for some reason it intrigued Sasuke. Unlike Itachi, Sasuke knew Naruto was upset about what was going on. He made him feel like this and Sasuke felt relief at his friend's pain on his behalf. Before Sasuke even realized what he was doing, he turned towards Naruto and grazed his hand against his chin, grasping it firmly. His eyes were as black as the night, somewhere far away as he caught hold of Naruto's.

Shocked, Naruto did nothing but watch as Sasuke closed his eyes and kissed him without hesitation. Naruto nearly fell over as Sasuke held him firmly and to Naruto's extreme shock, it felt good. Sasuke has always been perfect in everything he did, but he had never expected to realize how perfect of a kisser he was. Too shocked to give in, Naruto pulled back from Sasuke's wet lips and stared at him open mouthed. Sasuke's eyes were heavy, like he had never been further away from him.

Then, he turned and walked away, not having said a word. Naruto was a guy, yes, but he wasn't his brother. And to Sasuke's extreme discomfort, he knew he couldn't get rid of this desire he had easily. The only one who could do anything about it was _him. _

Like a moth to the flame, Sasuke would either eventually burn alive in the very warmth that gave him life, or he would find a way to survive in the fire.

# # #

Itachi had fled the house nearly as fast as Sasuke had. The look his little brother gave him after shoving his tongue down his throat had alarmed him. He felt Sasuke would never talk to him again for letting him go through with such a thing. He looked at Itachi with such accusing eyes, as if Itachi had been the one to kiss him. Frustrated from the whole situation, Itachi had found a lonely bar and ordered sake after sake. The more he drank, the more he recalled the searing kiss he had shared with Sasuke. He still couldn't believe that Sasuke had done it. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that perhaps Sasuke harbored some hidden emotions like he himself did or disturbed that Sasuke also felt the way he did. He couldn't even be sure if it was anything more than a fluke... Sasuke had been incredibly upset and acting strange already.

The feeling of Sasuke so close to him had already left him more exposed than he had ever been before. Vulnerable was not something Itachi liked to be, but Sasuke had done it so easily. He really had no idea how very much his actions were affecting Itachi even if his stoic facade had not been broken at first.

Unable to shake the feeling of Sasuke's tongue on his lips, Itachi left the bar and began searching for a place he never thought he would go to. But in his drunken state, Itachi didn't care about his dignity. Finding what he was looking for, Itachi approached the woman at the desk with nothing about his expression giving away his drunken state.

"I want a whore," Itachi said, the words foreign to him.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him. "Male or female?"

Itachi was taken aback with this question, but without further thought, he had responded with a subtle _male_.

# # #

With great irony, Itachi found that his whore was only a few years older than Sasuke, and spiky black hair. Granted, it wasn't as spiky as Sasuke's, but it was similar nonetheless.

When he noticed Itachi, his eyes narrowed into silent appreciation. Scanning his attire, he rose from his seat and addressed Itachi.

"You're a shinobi," he said, his eyes drinking in every feature of his new customer.

Itachi realized he was still wearing his ANBU uniform splattered in blood. Apparently the kid had noticed too, because he had stepped forward and eyed the blood with interest.

"Does that bother you?" Itachi asked.

He smirked. "Quite the contrary. How do you like it?"

Itachi was surprised to find he couldn't answer the question. It was a first.

The kid, however, was amused. "First time?"

Itachi didn't respond.

"Then I'll just have to drag it out of you then," he murmured, kissing the corner of Itachi's mouth. The alcohol allowed Itachi to allow it, and after a moment, his eyes slipped closed, indulging in the kiss that was so much like his brother's. However, this time, Itachi didn't feel like he was kissing a fragile Sasuke, but his own version of his little brother that wanted this... a Sasuke that wanted Itachi to fuck him.

Finally, he allowed himself to do something he could probably never do with Sasuke--take control. He fully possessed the mouth so willingly bending to his dominance, the desire that he kept buried so far down within him having broken out. His fondness for his little brother had always run deep, but he had never expected such a reaction from their close relationship. Feeling lips on his throat, Itachi let a lustful groan escape from his mouth as hands began to loosen his vest and pull it off. The wet feeling of his lover's mouth on his nipple caught him off guard. The shock it sent through his body made him hard in an instant and his hand was clutching the boy's hair and pulling him with him to the bed. Feeling his pants sliding down, Itachi glanced down at the spiky black locks bending down to take his hard length in his mouth. That same tongue that had let him ravish it was now pleasuring him into a high he had never felt before. Feeling his breathing become labored, Itachi jerked the boy's head off of him, catching his eyes with a heavy lustful look. Smirking with lips wet from Itachi's own essence, the boy yielded to the desperate look and straddled Itachi's waist. Itachi watched with eager anticipation as the boy that looked so like his younger brother slipped two fingers inside Itachi's mouth, running them around his wet cavity, slicking them up for his waiting entrance. Itachi felt his body pulse as he watched the boy turn around, one hand around his cock, pumping it slowly, while the other with his two wet fingers slowly penetrated his ass.

Itachi couldn't have asked for more. Not only did he look even more like Sasuke from the back, but he was getting a show as well. Itachi licked his lips as he heard the boy groan in pleasure from his own fingers pressing inside of him. Slowly, they slipped out and pushed back in harder, his groan louder this time. Itachi felt certain if he didn't do something soon, he was going to come prematurely, and _that_ would definitely piss him off. He wanted to help him slick up his tight entrance and his tongue continuously licked his lips wishing he could taste what he wanted so badly.

Itachi was giving in to his sinful desires so easily and he was blissfully appreciative for whoever discovered alcohol as he watched his little brother's doppelganger pump his fingers inside his widening entrance. Hearing his needy gasps made Itachi growl with impatience, his eyes fixed solely on the boy's hand finally slipping away from what he so coveted.

When he felt his erection released he held his breath as he watched the boy lift himself on top of his cock, placing the tip at the slick and widened entrance. Just feeling it on his tip made more precum to drip down his hard length. How desperately he wanted to show this vulnerability for his baby brother... He would let Sasuke break him down until there was nothing left if that was what it took to get him in this position. Desperate to feel that tight entrance around his cock, Itachi thrust up, dipping inside enough to elicit a throaty moan from his partner. As if that was what he was waiting for, he sank down until he was sitting in Itachi's lap, his cock buried deep within his whore. Unable to stand it anymore, Itachi leaned forward, gripping the boy's dick in his hand and stroking it as he allowed his body to get used to his nearly unnatural size. If only Sasuke would whimper as this boy did at his discomfort from Itachi's penetration of him... How badly Itachi wanted to hear Sasuke beg for him to fuck him... Kissing the boy's neck, Itachi slowly urged his hips upward only to force him back down on his cock again. The loud gasp that sounded had the boy on his hands and knees. Thankful for the new position, Itachi finally gave into the desire to pound into him. When he came Itachi buried himself as deep as he could, only sad that it wasn't Sasuke beneath him.

When the boy finally recovered, he pulled himself off of Itachi and turned back to crawl onto Itachi's collapsed and exhausted body.

"Who is Sasuke?"

Itachi's eyes widened.

"You kept muttering Sasuke," he told Itachi.

Itachi closed his eyes, unsurprised. "He is my little brother."

The boy smirked knowingly at him. "I assume it would have been his first time as well?"

Itachi nodded once.

Itachi was surprised when he felt his mouth on his own again. When he pulled away, Itachi looked at him questioningly.

"There are some things you need to learn if you ever plan to fuck him," he said. "This next time is on the house."

Itachi closed his eyes. "I don't think my fantasy will ever be acceptable to either of us."

The boy laughed. "Give it a few months to get used to. You've only even just admitted you like guys, right? He'll come around. In the mean time, I want to keep you here as long as I can."

"I don't just like guys," Itachi murmured hazily. "I want to fuck my own baby brother until he bleeds... There's got to be something wrong with me."

"If he looks anything like you, then I don't think anyone would blame you."

Itachi laughed mirthlessly. "If only that were true... I'd have him in my bed every night."

# # #

The next day, Itachi awoke with a headache that hurt worse than any prior injury he had ever had combined. Realizing he was in the woods outside of Konoha, he tried to remember what the hell he had been doing last night, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure it out. One think was for sure though... he had had _way_ too much sake.

* * *

_Hope you guys liked it! Three more chapters. Please review!_


	4. Break Away

Chapter Four: Break Away

Sasuke stood outside near the dock staring up into the dark sky pouring rain down all around him. The flecks of rain fell so heavily he could hardly see five feet in front of him. Sasuke's skin burned from the harsh cold leaving his body chilled. He couldn't explain himself what he was doing, but somewhere in his subconscious he understood it was some sort of punishment for his sinful desires. Denying himself the burning fire he felt when he was near Itachi wasn't enough... he had to release it from his body entirely. Itachi had been gone ever since that night, even missing a meeting with the Hokage about his next mission. He wasn't sure how he should take that. Either he was deeply disturbed by what had happened and Sasuke should be ashamed, or he was deeply disturbed about what happened and Sasuke should feel as if he had succeeded in some sort of twisted game in his mind; but if he was honest with himself, he felt both, and that was why he standing in the bitter rain in the middle of the night. Feeling rather than hearing someone behind him, Sasuke turned around to see Itachi standing a few feet before him, the rain soaking him to the bone. The water ran in streams down his skin, his hair framing his face in sleek black strands. Finally focusing on his gaze, Sasuke realized he had spent way too long analyzing his brother's appearance.

However, upon seeing his eyes, Sasuke forgot his own dilemma as he noticed how terrible Itachi looked. Any triumph he thought he felt before died. He had wanted a reaction out of him, yes, but Itachi looked like he had been to hell and back.

"I'm sorry, about the other day..." Sasuke said, trailing off.

Stepping closer to him, Itachi's eyes poured into Sasuke's as if looking for something. Then, with no change of expression, Itachi lifted his hand close to Sasuke's face and traced Sasuke's lower lip with his finger.

Sasuke was frozen at the touch of his brother. Gently, Itachi slipped his finger inside Sasuke's mouth ever so slightly, parting his lips and running the tip against the wet part of his inner lip.

"Whatever you need, Sasuke... I'll give it to you," Itachi said, letting his hand fall away from Sasuke's mouth.

Stunned, Sasuke watched as his brother turned and left, disappearing into the rain.

* * *

That night Sasuke had another nightmare. He stood in the middle of his desecrated home, his entire clan slain, and his brother before him taking his last breath. Sasuke wore his bloodied ANBU uniform, Itachi's blade in his hand. He stared down at Itachi, trying to remember how it happened... what had killed him? Was it me? Sasuke couldn't remember, but the blood on the blade in his hand was incriminating enough.

"No!" Sasuke yelled, his voice choked. Itachi wasn't supposed to die... Feeling a numbingly cold wind against his skin, Sasuke felt as if he heard voice somewhere in the distance, but they were so far away it could have been the wind. Falling to his knees, Sasuke lets his tears fall freely as he stared at Itachi's lifeless body. How had this happened?

"What made us so lifeless?" Sasuke asked, the tears streaming silently know.

As the blackness overtook him, Sasuke felt a sudden shock of breath enter his body. His brow was covered in sweat and his body much warmer than he remembered. Realizing he was sitting up in his bed, Sasuke felt a firm hold around him.

Itachi sat behind him, holding him as he awoke from his nightmare, keeping his body from shaking uncontrollably. Seeing Sasuke like that scared Itachi and only when he pulled him against his chest did Sasuke begin to calm down. Pressing his lips against Sasuke's head he kept him close, waiting for him to be calm.

However, to his shock, Sasuke turned his head and pressed his cheek to Itachi's open mouth leaving a hot trail down Sasuke's skin as he twisted against him and captured Itachi in an open mouthed kiss. Unable to even think about it due to how arousing it was, Itachi let Sasuke kiss him only for a moment before responding.

Sasuke wasn't quite sure what he was doing. All he knew was that he wasn't cold anymore and everything he ever needed was right there with him. The feeling of Itachi so close to him made his body tingle with excitement and every time he tasted Itachi's mouth he felt more and more aroused. Pulling his head back so he was facing away from Itachi again, Sasuke gasped at the heat of Itachi's mouth on his neck.

Itachi trailed kisses all the way down Sasuke's neck, hanging onto every moment that he felt his skin beneath his lips and his body so intimately pressed against his own. Grasping Sasuke's chin in his hand, Itachi pulled him back into an unrestricted kiss that he was surprised Sasuke yielded to so easily. Gliding his hands up Sasuke's naked torso, Itachi realized just how badly he had craved this. When he grazed Sasuke's nipple he gasped into Itachi's mouth encouraging Itachi to do it again. Flicking it with more force, Sasuke pulled back from the kiss, his eyes closed tightly as the sweetest sounds were emitted from his mouth.

Sasuke's hand touched his hard length now visible through his shorts as his face twisted into something like pain and pleasure.

"Itachi," he whispered as he began to pull away.

Sensing his denial of what they were doing, Itachi grabbed Sasuke and pulled him back against him, sliding his hand inside Sasuke's shorts. When he had Sasuke's length enclosed in his hand he felt Sasuke's body tense and relax against him in submission. His chest was rising and falling in pants as Itachi released him from his confines.

"Sasuke," Itachi whispered against his ear. "Relax... let me take care of you."

Gasping as Itachi stroked him, Sasuke's hips jerked upward causing Itachi to strengthen his hold against his squirming baby brother.

The sight before him was one he had wondered about for a long time. Sasuke pale body spread before him, his hard length exposed for only him and free roam of his body. Sucking Sasuke's earlobe into his mouth, Itachi nibbled gently before kissing Sasuke's jaw line. His other hand continued its harassment of Sasuke's nipple while the other jerked him off in an agonizingly slow motion.

Sasuke's gasp that must have ripped his throat made Itachi smirk.

Sasuke's hand drifted down to Itachi's urging him to go faster, but Itachi refused. Putting more effort into his ministrations, Itachi made it clear what he wanted.

"Itachi... aggh," Sasuke breathed. "Just... do it... already..." he panted.

Giving into Sasuke's request, Itachi pumped his cock, enjoying the hot sticking substance now lubricating his little brother's cock. Completely absorbed in the erotic sight unfolding before him, Itachi watched as Sasuke's look of passion deepened and the moans he had only imagined before came every second. That image of bliss lasted at least a minute. A full minute of Sasuke squirming in his lap rubbing against his own arousal and thrusting up to meet Itachi's hand as he came down with each stroke. The blush in Sasuke's cheek made him even more beautiful as Itachi held him in his arms to keep him from sinking down at his complete surrender to what Itachi was doing to him. Itachi wondered how aware Sasuke was of what was going on. He seemed so completely lost in his pleasure that a fire could have broken out and he wouldn't have known. Wanting desperately to taste Sasuke as he came close to climaxing, Itachi kissed a place on his lower neck before biting gently into his skin. Sasuke let the loudest moan yet escape his mouth at the burning pain and a moment later he climaxed. Tearing his eyes open, Itachi watched as Sasuke opened his eyes, his breathing still labored. Come had flecked his cheeks and chest and Itachi desperately wanted to lick it off of him, but before he had the chance, Sasuke had pulled away from him. He turned back once out of Itachi's arms and looked at him, still breathing like a mad man, with such shock that Itachi wondered if perhaps he had only just woken from his dream. But he knew Sasuke had been awake... he knew that he had wanted it... and he also knew that Sasuke couldn't admit it.

After that night, Sasuke didn't return to the Uchiha district for more than a month.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Itachi resented the loneliness in which he lived his life. His discomfort at Sasuke's departure had eaten away at him like a disease. He hadn't realized how much he depended on Sasuke's presence until he was gone. Now Itachi realized how Sasuke must have been feeling... like he was empty. He was sick with desire for Sasuke's body for a full week after he had left. He had paid too many visits to a whore, and he had only just gotten control over himself again. He couldn't risk another episode like that. It was too maddening. Such a weakness for a shinobi of his caliber was unacceptable.

Itachi pulled on his uniform and left his house. He had a mandatory training session that evening. Thinking he would make quick work of it so he could pay his whore one last visit, Itachi glanced at the training schedule at the ANBU's headquarters and stared at the name.

* * *

Apparently Sasuke hadn't glanced at the schedule before he went to his training session. The ANBU randomly selected shinobi each day for a training session so their skills would remain sharp against various opponents. Itachi had only just been notified that evening that his name was up.

Seeing Sasuke eye him with suspicion as he realized Itachi was his opponent irritated Itachi. He acted as if he had rigged the schedule.

"Let's just get this over with, Sasuke," Itachi said, his irritation ringing through his mind.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Itachi's words. "Think you can take me that easily?"

Raising an eyebrow at Sasuke's hostility, Itachi responded, "We both know I can."

Sasuke picked up on his true meaning and let out a furious battle cry as he attacked Itachi with full force. His blows were true and fierce, but Itachi blocked every one of them and still managed to get a hit on Sasuke right in the jaw sending him flying back into the wooed terrain several meters. However, it was only a moment before Sasuke upon him again, his eyes glaring. Easily pinning Sasuke against a tree and twisting his arm, he waited a moment to see if Sasuke would try break his hold.

Not to his surprise, Sasuke did try.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Itachi said. "That was a foolish move, Sasuke."

"What the hell do you care? You murdered your own flesh and blood and you have nothing to show for it. How can you even pretend that you care about my life? You didn't even feel anything, did you?" Sasuke asked. "Doing all of that to me didn't even mean anything to you, did it? It was just another way to show you how much better than me you are. Why do you pretend as if you care at all? You don't actually feel anything, do you? Why didn't you just kill me along with the rest of them?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "You're a fool, Sasuke."

"Yeah?" Sasuke growled. "Even now your expression doesn't change. You just like proving to me how easily you can handle anything! Why is this so easy for you to accept? All of it! Does nothing have any real meaning to you?"

Itachi had had enough of Sasuke's ignorance. "You think I felt nothing when I slaughtered my own mother? I suffer in silence to spare you the grief of having to watch me fall apart. I've learned how to handle this pain alone since I was a child and the weight of the world had been placed on my shoulders." Itachi was letting his rage take over, Sasuke's desire to see it allowing him to. Grabbing Sasuke by the throat, Itachi glared into his eyes with a menacing aura.

"You have no idea what my life has been like because I've spent it trying to ensure that you would never know what it was like to be me. I did it all without complaint, Sasuke, and do you know why? Because I knew if I didn't, then you would suffer. If I could have left you out of it that night, I would have, but there wasn't enough time. It had to be done before someone could alert anyone else. Trust me, Sasuke, I never wanted you to feel the pain that you do now. I did everything I could. I even murdered my own child so that you could live, and you think I sleep peacefully through the night?"

Sasuke's eyes were wide in disbelief at what he was hearing. Could it be true? Had Itachi really done that... for him...

Angry at Sasuke's blatant shock that he was human after all Itachi threw Sasuke to the ground pressing his cheek into the dirt and holding his arms behind his back. Leaning down next to Sasuke's ear, he whispered, "You want to see how vulnerable I really am, Sasuke? I'll show you."

Sasuke gasped as Itachi thrust him down on his back and crushed his mouth down onto his. There was nothing Sasuke could do. The raw intensity he felt from his brother was enough to take his breath away. It was like a lifetime of pent up anger and resentment was spilling out and Sasuke felt as if he were feeding off of it. Itachi's burning wrath was sparking the dying soul within him and yet he couldn't accept what they were doing. Trying to push Itachi off of him, he expected Itachi to back off like he always did, but this time, he grabbed Sasuke's wrists and held him down, unrelenting in his nearly brutal kissing. Feeling his lip split, Sasuke winced, but couldn't stop the erection forming in his way too tight uniform.

Itachi relished Sasuke's panic and deepened the kiss, making sure he tasted his own blood in his mouth. Pulling up slightly so Sasuke could hear him, Itachi murmured, "You want to see the real me, Sasuke? You want to see me without the mask... I hope you can handle it."

Sasuke watched in complete awe as he saw his brother form seals faster than any shinobi should be able to and felt a true sense of fear at the dark smirk on his face. Realizing he had made a shadow clone, Sasuke really began to fight as the shadow clone pulled him into its lap and wrapped its arms around his chest, literally holding Sasuke down before his brother watching the scene unfold. Staring up at Itachi, Sasuke realized he couldn't escape. Nothing he did would be enough to get away from Itachi if he didn't want him to go.

"Itachi, stop this," Sasuke pleaded.

Itachi closed his eyes and humphed. "You should take it like a man, Sasuke. It's unbecoming of you to beg."

As soon as Itachi said it, he was glaring at Sasuke again. "You needed so desperately to know me, Sasuke. You should be proud of yourself... you finally pushed hard enough for me to give you what you so desperately want but can't seem to take for yourself. If you had been strong enough to see, you would have understood long ago."

Sasuke's mouth fell open as what Itachi said clicked. He was right... he had been blind. Itachi had so easily shielded him from his suffering that Sasuke had mistaken his kindness for indifference. Feeling Itachi dangerously cutting at his pants with a kunai, Sasuke's eyes snapped open.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Itachi smirked, "I wouldn't draw your precious blood as you did mine."

Shuddering at his hardened length being exposed to the cool night air, Sasuke couldn't help but become even more aroused at Itachi sitting between his spread legs. Without touching him at all, Itachi ran his tongue from the base of his shaft all the way to the tip leaving Sasuke breathing erratically as he watched. The wet feeling made him shiver as the cool air attacked his body. Flicking the blade of his kunai down further, Sasuke felt his throat go dry as he felt the tip of the blade at his tight entrance and all the blood left his face.

"Itachi," Sasuke cried, careful not to jerk.

Smirking evilly up at Sasuke, Itachi flicked the kunai around in his wrist and put the handle to his mouth, licking it thoroughly. Sasuke may have been scared down to the core, but his brother licking the end of the kunai made him anticipate whatever he was about to do. Feeling the cool wet metal at his entrance made Sasuke wince at the bitter pleasure and sweet pain the sensation caused. The end of the kunai pressed on him in slow circles, gently pushing inside of him. The feeling was one Sasuke had never known.

"You're supposed to act like you hate it, remember, Sasuke?" Itachi murmured, pulling the kunai from him.

Itachi set the blade on his chest, pulling his hand back and wrapping it around his throbbing cock. Feeling the cool blade, Sasuke glanced at it and noticed the shimmer of blood on the blade form where Itachi held it. Feeling nauseous, Sasuke realized Itachi was now lubricating his cock with his own blood. The morbid pleasure it brought Sasuke couldn't be denied. The raw way Itachi showed him how he cared for him had caught Sasuke off guard. He had been completely wrong the entire time. Itachi had always tried to protect him, and even now, despite how easily he could take him to his pleasure, he worried over Sasuke first and foremost. Feeling guilt and shame, Sasuke struggled to get away, not wanting Itachi to show him anymore.

"No, Sasuke," Itachi said. "You brought me to such a low... now you have to deal with it."

Feeling the clone vanish, Sasuke felt Itachi drag him forward and pull at his hips until his mouth was positioned before his entrance. The gentle flick of his tongue at the sensitive muscles was enough for Sasuke's entire body to jolt to the point Itachi gripped him even tighter. The next was longer, and Sasuke felt the wet muscle plunge deep inside of him and caused him to release a throaty moan he couldn't hold back. Itachi repeatedly dipped his tongue deep within him until Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore.

"Itachi... I can't... take this any longer..."

Grabbing Itachi's hair, Sasuke pulled him forward. Surprisingly, Itachi gave in and thrust his tongue inside Sasuke's mouth. More than disgusted, Sasuke fought him off, but Itachi wouldn't let him. Forcing Sasuke down against the ground, Itachi slid his tip at Sasuke's wet and gaping entrance, prodding him gently as if in warning.

Biting Sasuke's bottom lip rather viciously to keep him in place, Itachi plunged inside of his tight entrance all the way to the hilt, effectively stopping Sasuke's resistance. The loudest cry yet came from Sasuke's mouth and reverberated down Itachi's throat as the pain set in. Sasuke's fists pounded against his chest, but Itachi didn't move. Finally breaking free from Itachi's fierce hold on his lip, Sasuke struggled to get his arms free.

"Itachi," Sasuke whispered.

Shocked at the weak sound of his voice, Itachi looked down at Sasuke's face and saw unshed tears brimming in his eyes. He had never experienced what Sasuke was going through, but like any virgin, there would be pain. However, despite how angry he was with Sasuke, Itachi took pity on him.

Kissing him despite the fresh blood, Itachi caressed his mouth, easing the tension in his body. Releasing his swollen lips, Itachi kissed his face, urging him to relax when Sasuke spoke.

"Was she... really pregnant?" he asked.

Surprised by the question, Itachi felt his entire body tighten against his will at the thought.

"Why, Itachi?" Sasuke asked his whole body trembling under Itachi's weight. "Why would you choose me over your own child?"

Itachi closed his eyes. "To take away your life would be cruel. The child never lost anything because it never had it to begin with. Your life, Sasuke, has always meant more to me than our entire clan. I've always wanted you, Sasuke... I just hadn't realized how badly."

Feeling Itachi slide out of him, Sasuke braced himself for the painful thrust he knew would come, but knowing it was coming did nothing to make it any better.

"Itachi, it hurts... please stop," Sasuke begged, the tears sliding down his cheeks.

"No," Itachi muttered, his face stricken with pleasure, "If this is the last time I see you, then I'm not going to waste it. Physical pain does not last, Sasuke."

Feeling him thrust again, Sasuke cried out in pain, feeling his strength ebb away from him. There was nothing he could do. Itachi would take what he wanted. As Itachi thrust into him faster and harder than before, the pain hardly subsided, but the look on Itachi's face seemed to put Sasuke into a trance. His once perfectly composed brother who never made a mistake was fucking him senseless against his will. Sasuke could have never expected such a fall from grace out of Itachi, but he had never expected him to admit that he had always wanted him either. It was as if he wasn't ashamed of it, like he had nothing to keep him from feeling what he did. Sasuke resented this because he wanted to be in that position, without the ties of reality to keep him from accepting how he felt.

Not much later, Itachi had forced Sasuke on his hands and knees before pulling him into his lap. Unable to resist, Sasuke felt Itachi hit a spot within him that made him cry out every time he thrust against it. Then, Itachi's hand wrapped around him, making each thrust compound the growing tension in his body. Sasuke had never appreciated Itachi's strength as he did now, having been able to restrain and exhaust Sasuke of all his energy and still be able fuck him so hard. When Sasuke climaxed, he did so without resistance, letting his body fall completely into Itachi's arms as he rode his brother's cock willingly until he buried himself inside Sasuke's body and held him tightly against his chest.

Sasuke's eyes were only half open as he felt Itachi spill his climax inside of him. The feeling of being so close to him could not be compared to anything he had ever felt before and Sasuke didn't want to move. Itachi nuzzled Sasuke's neck before moving his lips next to Sasuke's ear.

"Do you feel me yet, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes shot wide open. He did feel him. He felt like an open flame that was burning him alive and Sasuke couldn't escape. For so long he had wanted to know what Itachi was feeling, how he could exist in such a calm manner... Now he understood. He had never been at peace. He had never felt calm. He had only suffered, and under Sasuke's constant abuse, he had caved to what he had wanted for so long and Sasuke had so unknowingly antagonized—him. For the first time in his life, Itachi had been selfish and allowed another to feel what he wanted. And for the first time, Sasuke felt fear that someone such as his brother, perhaps the most powerful ninja the hidden leaf had ever seen, found his only pleasure in life through him.

Finally breaking free from Itachi's grasp, Sasuke vanished without looking back.


	5. Into the Fire

Chapter Five: Into the Fire

_- One Month Later -_

Sasuke leaned his forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall. His face was flushed and his breaths coming in short rasps. The water was so hot it burned his skin, but nothing could keep the images of Itachi from a distant memory from flooding his mind as he imagined his mouth where his hand was currently pumping his hard cock. Hearing the front door slam, Sasuke pumped harder, desperate for release. Stifling his desperate moan, Sasuke threw his back against the wall, letting the water rinse away the incriminating substance coating his hand. Eyes closed to the scene that left him so ashamed, Sasuke regained his composure. Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel before finding Sakura waiting for him anxiously in their room.

For the last month he had been living with her. Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to return home after what had happened. That night, Sakura had realized something was going on and didn't question Sasuke about his renewed interest in their dead relationship. They hardly had sex, and when they did, it was because Sasuke had been thinking about his brother too much and needed to feel a body beneath him. Those nights were like a reality check for Sakura.

When Sasuke had come to her that night, she knew something bad had happened. Of course, she never admitted to Sasuke that she knew... but the way he had acted made it obvious. He had been distant ever since then, nothing like he used to be, and it bothered her greatly. Sometimes she could pretend that Sasuke had wanted to live with her, that he wasn't escaping something else... but every time he made love to her, she knew he was thinking of someone else. She didn't know what could have happened to him, but whoever was on his mind was leaving him restless and always a million miles away from where she was.

When Sasuke saw Sakura's anxious expression he paused, his hair still dripping wet.

"What?" Sasuke asked, annoyed that she hadn't said anything yet.

Sakura bit her lip. "Tsunade has requested your immediate presence in her office. She said it's important."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What does she want?"

Sasuke threw his towel to the floor and started getting dressed. "I have a mission soon that she put me on... surely she knows that."

"I don't know, Sasuke, but she seemed pretty disturbed," Sakura said. "We better go now."

When Sasuke got to her office, Kakashi was in there with a weary look in his eyes and something about the odd way he glanced at Sasuke made him uneasy.

"Sasuke," Tsunade said, "There is something that you need to hear immediately."

Sasuke felt Sakura stiffen beside him as he watched her grim expression.

"Itachi Uchiha has officially been labeled as _missing_. He is more than a week late from his mission in the Land of Water and none of the rescue squads sent to find him have found any trace of him," she said.

Sasuke didn't move. He didn't even breathe. No one said another word as he realized what they were telling him.

Without a word, Sasuke turned and was about to leave the office when Kakashi gripped him by the arm.

"Let go of me," Sasuke growled.

"What do you think you're going to do, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked calmly, "If Itachi failed what makes you think you can handle this alone?"

"I have to try! I'm not just going to abandon him," Sasuke shouted, shaking off Kakashi's hold on him.

"Uchiha!"

Sasuke stopped at the Hokage's angry voice.

"We've already lost an entire squad trying to get Itachi back... The following three squads were ordered to turn back if risk of the squad was present, but they've gathered some valuable information. Itachi's mission was to disband a rebel faction in Mist that would have posed a threat to Konoha had they gained power. The Mizukage granted the request of ours to get rid of them for them because of our interest in the group, but apparently they had ulterior motives in allowing Itachi to take the mission. We aren't sure what they want with Itachi, or if they really even have him, but every ANBU member that got close to discovering who was behind this has been killed," Tsunade explained.

Sasuke turned back to face her. "Why should that mean anything to me? It won't keep me from going."

Tsunade sighed. "What you have to know, Sasuke, is that this is not something that Konoha can take lightly. Itachi is one of our best and one of the last of the Leaf's Uchiha clan... This is an act of war and they very well know it, so going in alone is only going to get you killed."

Sasuke glared at her.

"Kakashi, make sure Sasuke Uchiha does not leave the village. As the last surviving member of the clan, walking into their grasp is probably exactly what they are waiting for. You are not allowed to leave," Tsunade declared.

Furious, Sasuke's sharingan engaged and he shouted, "Then what? We leave Itachi to die?"

"Itachi is a capable shinobi trained to handle these situations. He knows very well in his position we can't make a move. At this point, we are doing everything we can do avoid a war. As long as you are still here, unfortunately, only losing Itachi is the most promising outcome at the moment."

# # #

That night, Sasuke went back to his home in the Uchiha district. He could sense Kakashi's chakra nearby, and he wondered if he would really have to fight him in order to leave the village. Entering Itachi's room, Sasuke noticed how pristine and untouched it looked. He wondered if he had been home at all in the month he had been gone. Crossing the expansive room, Sasuke opened his closet and pulled out one of Itachi's ANBU masks. Sliding it on, Sasuke closed his eyes, breathing in his brother's familiar scent.

There was nothing that could have kept him away from him.

When Sasuke reached the woods outside the gate, he was unsurprised to see Kakashi there before him in his way.

"Get out of my way, Kakashi. You can't keep me here," Sasuke said.

Kakashi glanced up at the night sky and looked back to Sasuke. "Just a few more minutes, Sasuke."

Confused, Sasuke watched Kakashi for a few more moments and was shocked when it burst into a cloud of smoke. _A shadow clone?_

Feeling the leaves rustle around him, Sasuke turned back to see Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto standing there, clad in their ANBU uniforms.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment at the sight of them only to let them relax the next moment in understanding.

"Did you really think we would let you go alone, Teme?" Naruto asked, his tone solemn.

Sasuke raised his head to them, acknowledging their loyalty to him despite his betrayal. He could never express to them how much it meant to him.

"Let's go."

But they knew it even if he never said it.

# # #

Itachi lifted his head, forcing his eyes open despite the strain it caused him. There was a sharp pain in his wrists. Something was binding them and fastening them behind his back, but that wasn't all. He could feel his chakra being sucked into the hungry manacles draining him of all his energy. Feeling as if his entire body were falling apart, Itachi tried to sit up, but found he couldn't even move. Clenching his eyes shut tightly, Itachi groaned in pain, trying to remember what the hell he had done to get himself in such a position. Hearing footsteps, Itachi forced his eyes open again despite the pain and looked up in the dark cell to see someone standing across the room.

"You finally woke up huh?" he asked.

Straining to see, Itachi recognized the small boy with black hair who had reminded him of Sasuke.

_Itachi had just completed his mission in the Mist Village and was stopping in a small town on the outskirts of the village for the night. He had completed the mission a few days early and didn't feel like returning to his empty house just yet. Ordering a drink, he sat in the corner of a bar trying to clear his head of the death that had surrounded him only hours before. Hearing a thud, Itachi sat up to see someone had set down a drink on the table and sat across from him. _

_ "Never expected to run into you all the way out here," the boy said._

_ Itachi frowned. "Who are you?"_

_ The kid smirked and laughed. "You don't remember? I guess you were pretty wasted that night..."_

_ Itachi's eyes widened as he noticed the spiky black hair so similar to Sasuke's and the day he woke up in the forest completely hung over. The memories of that night started flashing through his mind triggered by the boy's appearance._

_ "Remember me yet? You seemed to thoroughly enjoy that night... perhaps we could have a repeat?" he said, his voice dripping with lust._

_ Itachi took another drink. Putting an empty drink down on the table, the boy pushed his forward. _

_ "Go ahead... I think you have more fun when you are loosened up a bit," he said, watching Itachi._

_ Realizing this boy was as close to Sasuke as he was ever going to get again, Itachi picked up the drink. Seeing the boy get up and go upstairs to a room in the tavern, Itachi followed. As soon as he was inside the door, he felt a blow coming and reacted as he normally would, but didn't stop the blow. For some reason, he had been too slow... Feeling off balance, Itachi grabbed the ninja who had hit him and broke his neck only to feel another attack that he couldn't avoid. Feeling the stab wound of a kunai in his chest, Itachi grabbed the wrist that stabbed him and snapped it, knowing whatever he had been drugged with would keep him from having any speed to defend._

_ But it was all futile. Every second that passed the slower his reactions became. Feeling a thrust to his back, Itachi fell to his knees, another blow making his vision blur. Across the room, he saw the kid watching him with a disgusted and nervous look before he lost consciousness. _

Itachi glared at the kid. "Who paid you?"

The kid didn't look at him or say anything at all.

"Was it the Fuma clan?" Itachi rasped out, seeing the kid stiffen.

Taking that as a confirmation, Itachi stopped asking questions. He should have known better than to think they wouldn't be watching him. Of course they would have got to the kid and used him... If only that damn kid didn't look so much like Sasuke, he might not have been so careless... It was a stupid mistake to make.

Sensing him drawing near, Itachi's eyes snapped open to glare at him, causing him to pause for a moment before getting closer to him.

"Look," he said, eyeing Itachi nervously, "I needed the money. Don't take it personally. If it makes you feel better, I volunteered to watch over you... the guy they had looked pretty scary and I figured you'd rather have me around than him."

Itachi snorted. "What are they going to do with me?"

The boy frowned. "They don't act like they are going to do anything with you except leave you here. If I didn't pour water down your throat, you'd probably be dead by now."

Itachi looked at him suspiciously. "How long have I been out?"

"About ten days," he said.

Itachi sighed. That could only mean one thing. "Where are we?"

The boy glanced around like he was nervous to be saying anything, but he answered anyway. "The Mist Village. I think we are in the main holding facility."

Itachi's eyes widened in shock. "You mean... there are shinobi guarding this place? Mist ninja?"

He nodded.

Itachi fought to pull himself up into a sitting position which the boy helped him into. "That means the Fuma clan has allied themselves with the Mist."

The boy tilted his head in question. "What does that mean?"

"It means they want revenge," Itachi rasped.

The door suddenly swung open and Itachi recognized the Fuma clan leader enter the cell.

"Get out," he told the boy. He scrambled to the door casting Itachi a weary look.

"Itachi Uchiha," he said, glaring down at him.

Itachi didn't respond and kept an even gaze.

"Such a shame for the great Uchiha clan to fall to such pathetic levels. You should see yourself; you look terrible," he said.

"If you are trying to draw Sasuke here, he won't come. We haven't spoken for weeks and he hates me. He'll be glad if I never return, so you mine as well kill me now," Itachi spat.

The leader's face narrowed into a vicious glare. "If he doesn't come, then Konoha will be faced with a full scale assault from the Mist Village and the Fuma clan. We have made a deal with the Mist--if they help us gain the sharingan we will ally with them to destroy the Leaf. The Fuma will not stand for the false blame you have placed on our shoulders. You have only one option, Itachi. Join us and make Sasuke come, or let your village be destroyed in which case we get Sasuke anyway and die."

"Sasuke would end his own life before allowing the Sharingan to go to your pathetic clan," Itachi said.

The pain from the beating the Fuma clan leader gave him was numbing. His entire body bled and ached, but he didn't care. He was more concerned about Sasuke. The Hokage had probably already halted all teams from entering the Mist... there was no way they would get far with the Fuma being allied with them. The best solution at this point was for him to be abandoned and Sasuke be detained for protection. He was certain that was what would happen, in which case, he just needed to get rid of the Fuma to deter the Mist form a large scale war.

Feeling the blood drain down his throat, he sighed. His body was failing him and he wouldn't last long... not unless he got some help.

# # #

Sasuke kicked off the tree branch so hard the limb snapped and crashed to the ground behind him. The others fought to keep up with him, sending each other worried glances, but Sasuke didn't notice any of this. All he could think of was how Itachi had never been in such a situation before all of the bullshit that happened between them. Guilt like he had never felt before clouded his mind. Itachi could be dead right now and he would have no one to blame but himself. Biting his lips 'til it bled, Sasuke thought of how vulnerable Itachi had been the last night he saw him.

He never should have left Itachi alone.

This was all his fault.

The fear he felt... the raw emotion of the experience had been overwhelming and terrified him to the core. Itachi had finally allowed someone into his life, to truly see him, and all Sasuke could do was run. This was his fault because when Itachi finally gave in, Sasuke had abandoned him.

Fighting the tears trying to form in his eyes he moved faster.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke landed harshly on the ground turning back to see his teammates pause behind him.

"We are close to the border of the Mist Village. This is as far as all the previous teams that made it back went," Kakashi said.

Sasuke nodded. "If it looks bad, turn back. I don't want any of you to not come back from this, but I'm not leaving Itachi there."

Naruto stepped forward and looked down. "And we wouldn't leave you there, Sasuke."

"Hn."

# # #

Once team seven had infiltrated the village, they realized the tightened security. It was as if they were preparing for war.

"This is bad," Kakashi muttered to them.

All of them had recognized the presence of the Fuma clan in league with the Mist ninja and all of them knew what that meant.

"Those bastards," Sasuke said.

"The Fuma clan has always held a grudge against the Leaf for misplacing them from their home in the last ninja war... Now they are after Uchiha blood as well for ruining them again and their chance at revenge against Konoha," Kakashi said. "It looks like Itachi was tricked somehow. Sasuke, be careful, they are probably waiting for you to come for him."

Sasuke nodded with glaring eyes.

It took them a few hours to break into the lower levels of the holding facility, taking out any ninja who stood into their path. They weren't even close to the maximum security cells yet, and they were already facing too much resistance.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, "Go on ahead, we'll catch up."

Hesitating only a moment when he saw Sakura take a blow, Sasuke went as soon as he saw her recover and take the ninja down. With a heavy heart, Sasuke wondered what kind of condition Itachi was in.

As he moved through the dank corridors he came to a central room where there appeared to be a meeting.

"It seems that Sasuke Uchiha has finally arrived. All we have to do now is locate him," someone said aloud to a group of ninja.

It wasn't long before they found him outside the room. Furious, Sasuke unleashed a wrath no one had seen before tearing through the many ninja of the Fuma clan to get to their leader.

Finally, most of the worn and wearying ninja had backed away from him and Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura had caught up to him. Seeing Sakura bleeding only enraged him further when he addressed the leader.

"Where is my brother?"

The leader smirked at him. "He is fine, but I am glad you came, Sasuke. We have a proposition for you."

Sasuke glared at him.

"If you and Itachi agree to help revive the Fuma clan and give us your sharingan, then your lives will be spared, and the Leaf Village will not be threatened with war from the Mist Village. Our prestige will be restored, and the Uchiha will have a clan once again. Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn't it?" he coerced.

Naruto, having remained silent too long, shouted, "You can't threaten Sasuke-teme like that! His clan is gone because of a threat to the village, I won't let you keep pushing him like that! If you are going to pose a threat to Konoha just because of revenge, then I will eliminate you myself!"

The clan leader laughed at him. "There's nothing you can do. If Uchiha refuses to cooperate, the Leaf Village is as good as gone."

Suddenly a furious cry tore form Sasuke's throat as he draw his blade faster than anyone could see and rushed forward towards the leader. The entire room seemed to hold its breath as they wanted for one of them to fall.

Sasuke was fully prepared to kill the man threatening his brother in such a way after all the problems they had caused them. Just before his blade made contact with his throat, Sasuke felt something restricting his blow.

There, standing before him, was Itachi, holding his blade in his hand, his blood dripping down to the floor, keeping him from taking the man's life.

"You!" the clan leader gasped.

Itachi looked like he had escaped from the depths of Hell. His clothes were dirty, his ANBU vest gone leaving him in just the black shirt he wore beneath it. His skin was covered in dirt and blood, his hair hanging in ratty tendrils in front of his face.

"Itachi," Sasuke whispered, staring at his brother as if he had awoken from the dead.

"I won't have you kill for me anymore, Sasuke," Itachi said, thrusting back his blade making Sasuke stumble backwards.

Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi watched the exchange in awe, relieved and disturbed at seeing Itachi so beat down, but alive at least.

"Kill them!" the leader shouted.

But that was the last thing he ever said. Itachi's hands were around his throat exerting a force no one believed he could possibly have strangling the man for a moment before he snapped his neck and let him collapse to the floor.

Lifting his gaze, Itachi stared around at the rest of the clan warriors, his demonic red eyes terrifying even Naruto and Sakura.

"The Fuma clan will disappear from the Mist Village, and never step foot in the Land of Fire again. Any threat to Konoha will be personally dealt with by me. Had the Fuma not so selfishly desired the power of the Sharingan and the prestige of the vulnerable Uchiha clan, I would never have had to murder my own family. My patience has worn thin and I suggest you heed my words immediately," Itachi said, his voice raspy and harsh.

But the look in his eye was fierce and no one challenged him. The Fuma fled.

The moment they were gone, Itachi collapsed to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth as he hit the ground unconscious. Sasuke watched in horror as Sakura rushed forward and began to heal him, but Itachi didn't wake up. He couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he watched his brother. He was so torn up, but he had still done everything he could to protect Sasuke from his own grief.

"Itachi," Sasuke whispered. "I'm sorry."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke as he slid down in his arms to the floor, closing his eyes tightly, the tears sliding silently, falling to the concrete floor.

"It's alright... Sasuke," Itachi muttered.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, hope flashing through them.

"Don't talk, Itachi," Sakura muttered, her face lined with concentration.

Sasuke relaxed as tears of joy kept sliding down his cheek.

"It'll be fine, Sasuke. You'll see. Sakura is the best medic there is. She's even better than Granny-Tsunade, though she won't admit it. Itachi will be fine," Naruto said.

Sasuke watched his brother who had slipped back into unconsciousness. "Yeah..."

# # #

It didn't take long for the Mist to issue a formal apology to the Leaf Village. The Fuma clan, now leaderless and struck with the fear of God, had vanished just as Itachi had told them to. Itachi had been in the hospital with Sakura by his side for a week. He didn't wake up much, but when he did, Sakura said he asked about him. She had kept him out of the room saying Itachi got too worked up when Sasuke was near, and wanting him to recover, Sasuke stayed away.

He had returned home, waiting until the day Itachi would be released from the hospital trying to think of what he would say to him. Nothing could make up for what he did, but Sasuke thought he had a good idea of how he could come close.

When Sakura brought Itachi that night, she had forced her own chakra into his body so he could walk. Apparently the chakra manacles they had used on him were left on for way too long and had damaged his chakra network. Sakura said she could heal it, but it would take a long time, and he would have to rest.

When she had finally left Itachi alone in his room that night, Sasuke went inside finding Itachi asleep peacefully in his bed.

He looked so broken it hurt and Sasuke had to look away. He had used him whenever he needed to get a rise out of him just to feed his own burning need to feel not even considering how he felt. He had been a selfish fool, but not anymore.

"Sasuke?" Itachi asked, his eyes sleepy.

"Hey," Sasuke said.

"I didn't think you would still be here," Itachi said.

"I'm not leaving, Itachi," Sasuke said, his heart twisting painfully.

Itachi seemed to consider him for a moment. Feeling the urge to ease his confusion, Sasuke moved closer and sat at the edge of the bed. Forcing himself to not think too hard about it, Sasuke bent down and gently touched his lips to Itachi's. Touching his hand to his cheek, Sasuke kissed him harder, forcing a response.

Itachi was shocked, but Sasuke felt so good he did nothing but g along with it. Finally releasing his lips, Sasuke pulled back and looked into Itachi's eyes.

"I'm sorry I left," he said.

Itachi's eyes widened.

"I won't pretend I don't want this anymore... I was living a lie," Sasuke whispered.

When he looked back up at Itachi, he had passed out already. Smiling Sasuke kissed him again, indulging in the feel of him so close before he left him to rest.

The next few weeks, Itachi was out most of the time with Sakura in and out of his house constantly. One night, Sasuke had stopped her on her way out. He had been so bored he had little else to do besides fantasize about Itachi, and took out his frustration on Sakura.

When Sasuke had suddenly violated her in a way she hadn't expected, she screamed bringing him to a sudden halt.

"Sasuke?" she questioned.

Leaning down to whisper in her ear seductively, he said, "Please, Sakura... I'll be gentle."

Shocked, Sakura could do nothing but nod slowly, wondering where this sudden fantasy came from. When he had fully worn her out and left her virginal rear entrance sore and raw, Sakura had immediately healed herself and collapsed onto his bed. Sasuke held her tightly the entire night like he hadn't since many moons before, his body pressed intimately against hers.

"I still love you, Sakura," he whispered just as she was falling asleep.

Surprised, Sakura felt her eyes well up with tears before she dozed off.

# # #

The next morning Sakura spent several hours draining her chakra into Sasuke's older brother, slowing repairing his chakra network. After several hours of the healing chakra being poured into this body, Itachi woke up.

"Sakura-san," he said, his eyes still close.

"Good morning, Itachi-san," she said. "It won't be much longer now. Just a few more days before you body can store chakra again... I'm still amazed you could stand at all that night."

Itachi made a hollow sound from the back of his throat. "I would have died if you hadn't been there."

Sakura winced at how calm he was at saying such a thing. "But you didn't, and it's a good thing, or Sasuke-kun would have never recovered."

"How is my brother?" Itachi asked.

Sakura smiled at him. "He is much better knowing you will be well soon."

Itachi smiled at that and slipped back into his sleep. As Sakura watched him, she realized how beautiful the older Uchiha was. Sasuke was just as beautiful, but with a definite feminine edge that made Sakura jealous sometimes. Itachi... he was definitely Sasuke's counterpart.

# # #

The next day Itachi woke up in the late afternoon feeling some of his chakra restored. Relieved, he pushed the covers off of him so neatly tucked in by Sakura, and got up on his own for the first time in weeks. However, as soon as he did, he regretted it and sat back down putting his hand to his head.

Hearing his door open, Itachi looked up to see Sasuke enter, surprised to see him awake.

"Are you feeling better?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi let his hand fall back to his side. "Yeah. Your Sakura is quite skilled. I always thought that once you damaged your chakra network, that was it."

Sasuke smirked. "She is my teammate after all."

Itachi smiled, glad to see Sasuke had returned to his old self.

"She said it would be a few more days before I could walk around," Itachi said. "It was such a foolish thing to have been caught in the first place. I should have been killed."

Sasuke scowled. "I never would have let that happen."

Itachi frowned when he looked up at Sasuke. "Why are you here, Sasuke? I... practically raped you... so why would you come to find me?"

Sasuke's smirk returned to Itachi's surprise. Feeling Sasuke's hand on his chest, he fell against the bed and stared up into Sasuke's eyes as he crawled on top of him.

Leaning down, Sasuke's hair tickled his skin as he blew his hot breath against his ear. "Because I want you to do it again."

Itachi gasped lightly at Sasuke's words, but had no time to react before Sasuke's tongue was teasing his earlobe.

"I can't wait any longer, Itachi... I have to have this now," Sasuke breathed.

Sasuke's lips proceeded down his neck, sucking and nipping to his heart's content. Itachi could hardly believe Sasuke was ripping his shirt and trailing wet kisses down his chest, his teeth pausing to bite the sensitive flesh of his nipples.

"Sasuke," Itachi moaned, trying to make him pause for just one moment, but it was to no avail. Sasuke was drunk with lust and kissed him just to shut him up. His tongue traced the inside of his mouth fervently, sending pulsing signals to Itachi's loins making his hard length press sweetly into Sasuke's abdomen.

Feeling the intimate contact, Sasuke grinded his hips down against Itachi's as he reaching his tongue further into Itachi's mouth. Itachi responded heatedly as Sasuke continued to grind against him.

Pulling his lips away, Sasuke whispered into Itachi's ear, "You like that, don't you?"

Itachi couldn't keep his eyes from opening wide in shock. Was this really his little brother? Itachi convinced himself it wasn't when Sasuke moved down and released him from his confines and sucked his cock inside his mouth, sucking and licking like he needed his cock in his mouth to survive.

"Sasuke..." Itachi growled, as he sucked harder and harder.

Just when Itachi was about to climax, the door opened and Sasuke flicked his tongue so cleverly that Itachi came all over him as he pulled away, breathing heavily to see who had walked into the room.

Itachi could feel Sasuke's horror as Sakura stood in the doorway frozen, her eyes on Sasuke's chin covered in his brother's cum. The few moments she stood there felt like years to Itachi, but she finally turned and fled.

Sasuke didn't move for a long time. Finally he turned back to Itachi and glanced down at his still exposed cock and licked the remaining come from his skin before fastening Itachi's pants again.

"You should go back to sleep," Sasuke said, his emotions hidden nearly behind his mask of composure.

"Sasuke...."

"I'll take care of it. She'll be back to heal you soon," Sasuke said walking to the door, "Don't worry."

Like Sasuke had said, Sakura came back to heal him, but she always knocked him out when she found him conscious, unable to look him in the eye. Itachi didn't blame her and was grateful she came back at all. The last time she had come, Itachi spoke immediately before she could knock him out.

"Have you spoken to Sasuke?"

Sakura looked troubled by the question and quickly shook her head. Itachi frowned.

"This will be the last session... In a few more days, you should wake up fully recovered. You will have to learn how to use your chakra efficiently again though. It will feel different for a while until you are used to it," she said, avoiding his eyes.

"Sakura," Itachi said. "Please, don't be so uncomfortable around me."

Sakura paused. "How should I act, Itachi-san?"

Itachi studied her for a moment. "You already knew, did you not?"

Sakura stared at him gaping. "H-how did you know?"

Itachi shrugged. "I could just tell."

Sakura was lost for words.

"The only thing that is actually different now is that Sasuke is aware that you know, and you are aware that I know," Itachi said, watching her carefully.

Saukra smiled sadly. "Sasuke hasn't spoken to me. He is avoiding _me,_ Itachi-san. He isn't the kind of person to handle me knowing this very well."

Itachi realized she was probably right when she started healing him. "But I feel better, Itachi-san. Thank you."

Smiling, Itachi realized she hadn't knocked him out this time.

# # #

Sasuke lay on his couch in the living room recalling his most recent sexual experience with both of his lovers. Taking Sakura in such a manner had been far more pleasurable than Sasuke ever thought it would be. And sucking his brother off... had been far more pleasurable than he ever thought it would be as well. Sasuke felt sick thinking about Sakura walking in on them... she had looked mortified. How could he ever explain this away? He had always known if he gave into this incestuous desire that he would lose them... he just didn't want it to happen so soon, right when everything in his life was so damn near perfect.

He had Itachi back with a new idea of their relationship not only as lovers, but as brothers. He had his team back... he had his life with Sakura back. He didn't want to lose any of that, but it felt inevitable as she slipped further and further away from him. And how long until Naruto found out? How long until he lost him too?

Hearing a knock at the door, Sasuke frowned. Sakura had been using Itachi's balcony door to avoid him and Naruto was off on a mission. Opening the door, Sasuke stared at a kid with oddly familiar spiky black hair standing before him.

"May I help you?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

The kid, who was probably older than him, smirked in such a familiar way it was creepy.

He looked at Sasuke like he was a piece of meat and was starting to freak Sasuke out when he spoke.

"You're Sasuke, aren't you?" he asked.

"How do you know me?" Sasuke asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, you look just like Itachi, and he said your name was Sasuke, so I just assumed," he said, eyeing Sasuke up and down.

"You know my brother?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could put it like that."

Catching the odd way he said that, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he stepped aside letting him into the house.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked after he shut the door.

After taking a good look around at the house, he turned back to Sasuke.

"I was the one who helped your brother get out of his chakra manacles that night," he said. "Itachi offered me something I just couldn't resist, even though it was dangerous as hell to help him."

Sasuke regarded him with renewed interest. "Why were you there? You're no shinobi."

"The Fuma clan hired me to help me catch your brother. It was all business, no hard feelings. In fact I refused to do it the first two times they asked, but they finally offered me so much money I just had to do it. Really though, I didn't want to go through with it. Itachi was the best I've ever had," he said, smiling as if recalling some memory.

Sasuke observed him studiously, taking in every aspect. He was well dressed, and now that he really looked at him, resembled himself uncannily.

"What do you mean 'best'?" Sasuke asked.

"You see," he said, "Itachi came to me after he stared having sexual desires for his little brother... he told me I looked like him. Fascinated by him, I let him stay the whole night. After I helped the Fuma clan capture him, I stayed back to make sure they didn't kill him. He would have been dead had I not taken care of him that week he was in captivity."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful to this punk or kill him. "So what do you want? You said Itachi offered you something to get you to help him escape?"

His eyes flashed as he drank in Sasuke's appearance.

"He offered me you."

Sasuke didn't say anything, sure he heard him incorrectly.

But when he kept looking at Sasuke with such hungry eyes, he knew he hadn't misunderstood.

"Get the fuck out of my house," Sasuke said, irritated he actually believed Itachi meant it.

The guy smirked, closing his eyes for a moment. "You're just as fiesty as Itachi. Too bad for me, I'm sure you would have been good."

What he said seemed to strike Sasuke in an odd way. "Wait."

He turned back to look at Sasuke questioningly.

"So you slept with my brother?" Sasuke asked slowly.

"Many times," he said, smirking deviously. "That's why I'm so interested in the younger one... You might be even more beautiful than him. I certainly don't blame him for wanting you."

Sasuke clenched his jaw.

"Are you reconsidering?" he asked.

"What did it feel like when my brother fucked you?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi's lover grinned at Sasuke. "It hurt like hell at first, even for a seasoned whore like myself. But it was the greatest sex I've ever had."

Sasuke felt himself getting aroused just hearing about his brother at this guy. He didn't understand it, but it fascinated him that Itachi had fucked this look-a-like.

"I could show you what we did... How he fucked me... I would let you relive the entire experience," he said, stepping closer to Sasuke as he spoke. "He pretended I were you ya know... He pretended I were you with no inhibitions about letting him fuck you senseless... I can show you exactly what it was like being with him."

Sasuke trembled when he kissed him, the idea of Itachi giving in completely to his desires with no resistance from him was enough to make him come right there. He wanted to be able to give that to Itachi, to see him completely succumbed to his senses... but Sasuke couldn't handle him. It had hurt so bad, he was sure he would never be able to have Itachi the way he wanted him.

As if he were reading Itachi's mind, he added, "I'm not as big as him... I don't think anyone is... It will help you be prepared when he fucks you like I will."

Sasuke heard him loud and clear. "Fine."


	6. Peace At Last

Chapter Six: Peace At Last

When he kissed Sasuke again, Sasuke responded and let him push him onto the couch.

"Itachi loved it when I used my teeth," he whispered in Sasuke ear as he ran his hand down his torso and slid it under his shirt. "He was nervous at first, though he would never admit it... and he had no idea what to do with me."

Sasuke felt himself harden drastically at his words. Just the thought of Itachi unsure of what to do left him panting. Pulling his shirt over Sasuke's head he immediately attacked Sasuke's nipples eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Sasuke.

"Itachi was just as sensitive as you are, but you let your pleasure show much more... It makes you look so fuckable," he moaned, reaching into Sasuke's pants and pulling his erection free. Letting his tongue dance around his top, he watched as Sasuke blushed, his eyes never leaving the whore preparing to suck his cock.

"You did this to Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

He nodded before taking Sasuke fully in his mouth, sending a shiver down Sasuke's spine.

"Did he like it gentle, or harder?" Sasuke breathed, trying not to lose his composure too quickly.

He released Sasuke for a moment, pumping him with his hand. "He liked to be teased."

Sasuke moaned loudly when he sent his tongue doing insane things to his length. Finally releasing Sasuke from his mouth, he pulled Sasuke's pants the rest of the way down.

"Then I gave him a show," he said. "Let me show you what to do."

Sasuke leaned forward eager to know what he desired to see Sasuke do and let the guy place Sasuke backwards in his lap after having pulled his pants off. Sasuke could feel his chest against his back and then his hand pulling Sasuke's hand to his mouth.

Sucking gently on Sasuke's fingers, he released them, pushing his hand to Sasuke entrance and urged him to touch himself.

"Itachi nearly came with me just in his lap fingering myself right in front of him... make sure you do it nice and slow," he urged.

Giving in, Sasuke slid one finger inside, trying to loosen the tight passageway as best he could. He didn't realize how good it would feel right off the bat. Making himself moan out in pleasure, he slid the other in as well, allowing himself to loosen at his own rate, easing the discomfort.

He could feel his partner touching himself at Sasuke's penetration of his own body and couldn't help but be more aroused by it. Itachi desired to see him do this and that alone made him hot.

Feeling him kissing his neck, he urged Sasuke to slide down on his cock whenever he was ready.

"I've got it slicked with your own come, Sasuke..." he said.

Pulling his own flesh apart, Sasuke realized it wasn't going to get much looser with just his fingers, so bracing himself, he lifted himself up and grabbed the waiting cock, rubbing the tip around at his entrance.

Sucking in his breath, Sasuke lowered himself all at once onto his partner, crying out in pain and pleasure at the sensation. It didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as his brother had, and as he shifted around with his cock buried within him, Sasuke felt himself getting used to it already.

"Itachi was so aroused, he grabbed me himself and thrust me down onto his cock..." he said, gripping Sasuke's hips and lifting him up and down along his shaft.

Sasuke cried out, overwhelmed by the extreme pressure and clash of pleasure in his body he could hardly catch his breath.

"You like it, don't you Sasuke," he said, thrusting Sasuke down hard as he pumped up at the same time.

"Damn," Sasuke breathed.

Sasuke's vision was getting blurry as he kept hitting that same spot within him over and over before pushing Sasuke onto his hands and knees and pumped inside him faster than before. Sasuke couldn't stand him. Come was dripping from his tip and blinding pleasure was mounting in his body. He wanted to feel this when Itachi fucked him... he wanted desperately to be able to give Itachi this kind of release.

The whore struck him for the last time, causing Sasuke to come harder than he ever had while he simultaneously felt his partner come inside of him.

Feeling him collapse against Sasuke, he murmured in Sasuke's ear, "I knew you would be a good fuck."

# # #

The next day Itachi came downstairs for breakfast. He spent his day with Sasuke, learning about everything that had been going on in the village since he had been on bed rest. After a brief training exercise that Itachi probably shouldn't have done, Sasuke beat him, smirking in triumph despite Itachi's handicap.

Itachi was pleased with how Sasuke was faring even after Sakura had walked in on them. He wasn't sure how Sasuke was really handling it, or how he was handling his admittance to their sordid affairs, but he seemed to be dealing well. Or he was just in a good mood for some reason.

When Itachi told Sasuke he was going to bed, the reply he got was, "You can sleep in my room tonight."

Eyeing Sasuke skeptically, he could find nothing out of place about his little brother except his rather unexpected acceptance of their incestuous relationship. And it wasn't that Itachi minded, it was just... different. When Sasuke left the room to go upstairs, he found himself following just to see what would happen.

When Sasuke didn't shut his door, Itachi followed him inside, but refused to close it himself. Sasuke noticed and looked at him oddly before shutting the door.

"I asked you in here to sleep with you, Itachi," Sasuke said.

Itachi stared at him not sure what to made of Sasuke's brazen words.

And when Sasuke stepped closer to him and murmured, "I want you in here every night so I can sleep with you."

The light nip at his lip rendered him speechless as Sasuke transformed into a fantasy dream like version of his little brother right before his eyes. After several more light kisses, Sasuke leaned in for another seductive murmur by his throat.

"Tell me, Itachi... when you fantasize about us, do you eat me before you fuck me, or do you watch me fuck myself first?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi actually had to take a step back to be able to breathe again. The images of Sasuke flashing through his mind were making him hard without Sasuke even hardly touching him. Finally meeting Sasuke's eyes, Itachi saw how serious he was and realized he was not playing his game like he wanted him to.

The shock was just a little much for him at the moment though, so Itachi grabbed Sasuke's chin and kissed him with much more force than before. Sasuke yielded as if he had wanted Itachi to do that from the beginning. Sensing Sasuke's submission, Itachi felt his arousal grow even more as he pushed Sasuke back against the door. Sasuke was slightly shorter than him, so his stiff erection pressed right into Sasuke's abdomen. Recalling that night with his whore, Itachi let his hands slide up Sasuke's shirt, tweaking each hard nipple making him gasp for more. Loving the sweet sound he heard coming from Sasuke's mouth encouraged him to pull his shirt over his head. The second his mouth latched onto his chest, Sasuke's body was shaking.

"Itachi... ahhh" Sasuke moaned, his hand fisting in Itachi's hair tightly, almost painfully.

That was when Itachi lost all control. Suddenly his lips were everywhere, leaving burning kisses on every part of Sasuke's neck, angry red marks forming in his wake. His hand held Sasuke's head still as he kissed him passionately, their lips slick against one another's, sometimes not even kissing, but just tasting each other's breath as they let their pleasure escape them.

"How... often ahhh..." Sasuke breathed, "do you... think of doing this... to me?"

Itachi smirked at Sasuke's throaty words. "Every time I look at you."

Forcing Sasuke to turn, Itachi slid his hands down the front of his lean body and grazed the skin around his arousal tantalizingly.

"And to your earlier question... I want to completely dominate you, Sasuke," Itachi breathed against his neck, finally gripping Sasuke's arousal.

Sasuke thrust hard against the door as Itachi pulled him free but refused to give him release.

"Itachi... I need to feel you... . I won't stop you, Itachi, whatever you want to do to me, and if I try to, don't let me." he cried.

Itachi nearly gave in at his little brother's cry for him to fuck him, but held on to his tortuous method.

"Patience, Sasuke," he murmured sending painful kissed that nearly drew blood across his shoulder.

Forcing his pants down around his knees, Itachi let his hand slide dangerously down his back and over Sasuke's tight ass before gripping it roughly. The action earned him a load gasp against the door as Sasuke fought to not jerk himself off.

Sensing his frustration, Itachi pulled his mouth to his shoulder and kissed him pressing his erection against Sasuke's ass. After making sure Sasuke's lips were swollen and near bleeding, he pressed two fingers in his mouth.

"Suck Sasuke so I can fuck you like you want," Itachi commanded.

Sasuke sucked hungrily at his fingers before Itachi pulled them from his hot mouth and began rubbing them around the tight ring of muscles. Itachi still had a hard time believing this was really happening... Sasuke was practically begging for him to do what he had so wanted for so long and had so viciously tried to deny him when he took it by force. But when he pushed his finger inside, he realized how unforced it felt, like Sasuke wasn't so tight.

"Sasuke?" he asked.

He could feel Sasuke's smirk. "I did it for you, Itachi. Made myself ready for your unnaturally large cock."

Itachi actually laughed at Sasuke's humor before he urged him to explain further.

"I paid back your dept to that whorish look-a-like you found to fuck when I wouldn't let you fuck me," Sasuke said, panting at Itachi's finger fucking.

Itachi actually stopped his ministrations when he heard Sasuke.

"Are you serious?" Itachi asked.

Annoyed, Sasuke grunted yes and jerked to make Itachi continues.

"You're such a whore, Sasuke," Itachi murmured before adding another finger to press inside of his baby brother.

"Tsk," Sasuke muttered between moans, "Me? You're the one that raped me after you found a whore that looked like me."

Itachi pulled his hand out of Sasuke rather violently before twisted him back around to face him.

"What's your point?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke smirked. "You're a whore too."

Licking Sasuke's bottom lip like it was candy, Itachi lifted him thighs around his waist.

"Only for you, Sasuke," he said, pressing his tip at Sasuke's tight, slick entrance.

The blush that crept into Sasuke's cheek surprised him, but it suited the heavy lust in his eyes, and the raspy sound of his voice.

"Sasuke, I want you to beg for it," Itachi whispered into his ear.

Feeing Itachi touch his hard length between them, Sasuke cried out, trying to push down at the hard tip so close to behind buried within him.

"Itachi, please... I've waited long enough, do it already," Sasuke growled.

"You can do better than that, Sasuke," Itachi pressed.

"I want you to fuck me, Itachi," Sasuke said opening his dark eyes and looking straight into Itachi's. "I want to feel you for real this time."

Something about the way Sasuke was looking at him made the game come to a halt. He gave in that exact moment, and buried himself deep inside Sasuke, pressing his chest flat against Sasuke's as he tried to regain his breath.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" he asked, not wanting to hurt him again.

Wrapping his arms around Itachi's neck, Sasuke nodded, the blush washing over his skin forcing Itachi to need to feel him again.

The sex was better than Itachi could have imagined. Sasuke's complete submission was more than he could have asked for. He let him fuck him like he was a common whore and loved every second of it. The expression he had once seen on Sasuke's face as he fucked Sakura was now for him and only him... and Sasuke looked even more lost in his passion.

When he finally came, he realized Sasuke had come long before and had been watching him as he kept pounding into him, his face calm and blissful.

Itachi was slightly disturbed to see Sasuke so calm and collected even as he felt himself come inside his body.

"Itachi," Sasuke said, his voice deep and a gentle reminder that this was still his younger brother, and not some whore he could toss aside and not look back afterward.

Looking into his eyes, Itachi felt an odd fear that Sasuke was about to tell him this would be the last time, but waited for him to speak.

"I never want to stop doing this," Sasuke said.

Itachi's look of shock made Sasuke smile.

"You're going to have to put me in the bed, Itachi... I don't think I can walk," Sasuke said, smirking with a tired look on his face.

Itachi removed himself from Sasuke's body, not missing the twisted expression on his face as he did so and gently laid him on the bed. Collapsing next to him, Itachi felt Sasuke curl up beside him before he fell asleep. Unable to move Sasuke off of him, Itachi fell asleep beside him, hoping Sasuke would always be such a willing lover.

Lost in his dreams, Itachi thought that maybe there was hope yet for him and Sasuke. He cared more for Sasuke than anyone else in the world and wished desperately that Sasuke meant what he said and wanted it to continue. He would give Sasuke everything and anything he wanted if he would give Itachi this peace he felt by being with him. It was a peace that once obtained it couldn't be given up, and should he be forced to one day, he felt certain he wouldn't survive. It scared Itachi to be so dependent on something when he had been so independent before. But the more he thought about it, the more he acknowledged that Sasuke had always been the primary focus of his life for whatever reason.

Sasuke was everything to him, and he would never let anything happen to him.

Sometime in the night, Sasuke awoke and felt the aching in his body, but at the same time, he felt Itachi's warm body next to him breathing peacefully in his slumber.

The lethal Itachi Uchiha of Konoha's ANBU elite was completely at his disposal... Sasuke smirked. To think he had been scared of this moment before. Itachi looked even more beautiful with the faint moonlight bleeding through his curtains. It was as if someone had placed him in this position to look so perfect... but that was just him naturally. Sasuke didn't understand how he had resisted him so before when he was really the only creature that could make him feel as he did. The only flesh and blood he had left...

Sasuke pulled himself closer, draping his body over his lover, before falling asleep again.

# # #

Sasuke stood in the shower letting the water pour over him, his body aching and completely useless.

"I can't believe this," Sasuke grumbled. "It didn't feel like this after the other night with your whore."

Itachi frowned at Sasuke's complaining as he helped him wash, practically holding his little brother up. He should have expected this. Sasuke always bitched about everything, why did he think this would be any different?

"You weren't complaining this much last night," Itachi said.

"Tsk, I don't think anyone in their right mind would complain about you fucking them when it's happening... but later... how can you be that huge? And why the hell am I not that well endowed?" Sasuke complained.

Itachi sighed wiping his hair out of his face and forcing Sasuke to hold his own weight. Getting out of the shower, he sensed someone at the front door.

"Sakura is here," Itachi said.

Sasuke leaned against the shower wall.

"What are you going to say to her?" Itachi asked.

"Nothing right now," Sasuke answered. "She'd know what I did last night in an instant. I want to at least verbally let her know rather than make it so obvious."

Itachi smirked. "She could heal it for you in an instant."

"I'd rather suffer," Sasuke muttered.

# # #

When Sasuke went to Sakura's apartment later in the week he almost turned back. He knew he needed to resolve this awkward silence between her, but what was he going to do? Oh hey, Sakura, I'm fucking my brother now, sorry to have not told you before hand... Sasuke groaned in the back of his throat before he knocked on the door. She had saved his brother's life. He owed it to her to tell her the truth.

When she opened the door, she didn't meet his eyes and just left it open for him to let himself in.

Following her into the living room, Sasuke watched her as she ignored him and kept cleaning her weapons spread out on the table.

"Sakura..."

She paused and after a long moment, she looked up at him.

"It's alright, Sasuke..." she said. "Really. Ever since that night, I kind of suspected there was something going on. I just didn't know how long I had missed the signs."

"Sakura," he said, breaking her gaze, "I meant what I said that night. I still love you, I always have... I just... things have been strange lately. Itachi and I went through a lot of things together and... I can't apologize for what we are, but I am sorry I didn't get used to the idea sooner so you could have known. I never intended to use you, Sakura, but I know that I did, and I am sorry for that."

Sakura stared silently into her lap. "You shouldn't even have to apologize for that, Sasuke. I knew the entire time something was wrong."

Sasuke sighed. "I can't deny him, Sakura, and I don't want to. I don't want to lose you, but I don't expect you to deal with my issues. Itachi was the only thing in the world that allowed me to breathe again. I feel like I can't have a normal life while I feel alive... I am giving up one thing for this fucked up thing Itachi and I have... and I wish that weren't the way it was, but I have to choose, and I am all he has. I can't abandon him again."

"I would never expect you to, Sasuke," Sakura said quietly.

Her tone crushed Sasuke's heart and he fell to his knees before the table she sat by. "I just can't hurt him anymore, Sakura... if that means I have to lose everything else in my life, then I have to sacrifice that for him. I know it will make me feel strange to let him control me like he does so often, but I need him. Can you forgive me, Sakura?"

She smiled at him gently. "There's nothing to forgive, Sasuke. I wouldn't ask you to stay away from Itachi. I know he needs you and I know you need him. You are like each other's other half. Sasuke... are you in love with him?"

Sasuke's immediate look of confusion relieved Sakura right away.

"Of course not, Sakura. I just like having sex with him, but he will always be one of the most important people in my life, and I can't control these strange desires I feel," Sasuke said, wincing at being so blunt with her.

"Sasuke," Sakura began in a quiet voice, "This may sound strange to you... but I don't want to leave you."

Sasuke looked up at her, wondering if she had heard him correctly before.

"I understand what you are telling me, Sasuke. You plan to continue sleeping with Itachi... and if you will have me still, I'll take what I can get. You do still love me, right?"

Sasuke felt his mouth gape open. He couldn't keep himself from pulling her chin across the table and kissing her. Everything he had been afraid of losing before was not leaving him at all.

When he released her, he saw tears brimming in her eyes.

"Sakura, are you sure you are okay with this?" he asked.

Sakura threw herself across the table, knocking Sasuke to the floor on his back.

"Sasuke-kun, I was so afraid of losing you. I have to admit I was a little shocked at first, but I don't blame you for wanting to be with him... I can understand that desire perfectly," she said sheepishly.

Sasuke smirked at her.

"I can be your balance, Sasuke. You won't have to feel inadequate at all if you have me to counter the way he is with you. I'll always be here for you, Sasuke. I just want you to be happy," Sakura said, holding him tightly.

# # #

When Sasuke returned home, he found Itachi raiding the kitchen for food.

"Do you eat at home?" he asked Sasuke, irritated.

Sasuke laughed. "Before Sakura found us together she would bring me my meals."

Itachi looked up at Sasuke. "Did you see her?"

Ignoring him for the moment, Sasuke approached Itachi, standing there in his boxers and a fitted shirt. He just couldn't resist. He understood what Sakura had meant earlier even better now. This must be the way she looked at him. Of course, Sasuke looked at her with such desire as well, but it was different than how he felt about Itachi. Itachi was like a different brand of the same thing. The same brand as he was.

Capturing Itachi's lips with his, he finally allowed himself the exploration of his brother's body he hadn't had yet. He really wasn't any bigger than Sasuke, except a little taller, and longer hair. Pulling his ponytail loose, Sasuke admired the long black hair his brother had always had, but never let loose. Running his hands through it like he had with Sakura's so many times, he kissed him again and let Itachi push him back onto the kitchen table.

There was no talking and pleading that time. Itachi seemed to have tapped into a deeper level to connect to Sasuke on because Sasuke was entranced by his body, his eyes drinking in every part of him.

"You know," Sasuke muttered. "I think Sakura wouldn't mind being here to see this right now."

Itachi watched Sasuke, amused before pulling him back down into another kiss.

Sasuke had never loved being with his brother more than he had that night. The sex was raw, sending every kind of shock, emotion and jolt through his body that could be felt. That night, Sasuke felt like Itachi wasn't any older than him at all. He truly did feel like his counterpart in every way. The last time they made love, Itachi had insisted Sasuke know what it felt like and had urged him along as he pounded into his brother for the first and probably last time.

It had felt amazing, and Itachi had got some extreme sort of pleasure just at the idea of Sasuke being nervous about it.

Just like the night before, Itachi fell asleep in Sasuke's bed with him wrapped in his arms, the sheets tangled between them.

# # #

The next day Sasuke lay in bed until Itachi woke up.

"Sakura wants to stay with me."

Itachi looked over at him. "You should ask her to marry you."

Sasuke sat up and looked down at him.

"It's rare to find a woman who would actually be okay with her husband regularly having sex with his brother," Itachi offered. "You should marry her before she changes her mind."

"How would that work?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi shrugged. "However you want it to. Don't you still want children, Sasuke? We can't exactly procreate in this manner."

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. "I do love her... I can't believe she wants to stay with me though."

"Maybe she thinks she will get in on the action," Itachi joked, but Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

"That has to be it."

# # #

The next day Sasuke asked Sakura to marry him. Of course she said yes and after a six month engagement, they had the wedding. Sakura moved in with Sasuke and Itachi where she stayed in her own suite.

A few months into the new arrangement, everyone had adjusted nicely. Sakura was hardly aware when Itachi stayed in Sasuke's room and the only reason she knew at all was because it was those nights he didn't come to her room. But it didn't bother her at all like she thought it might. She fell asleep peacefully imagining the two beautiful Uchiha brothers together.

What she had been unprepared for was Sasuke's birthday present to her. She had gone to bed the night before her birthday to find Sasuke waiting for her. Telling her to come here, Sakura obeyed him and let him pull her into his arms. Holding her gently in his lap, he whispered into her ear that he had a surprise for her.

Noticing Sasuke was holding her a little forcefully she asked him what he was doing, but all he did was shout Itachi's name.

Sakura froze when she heard the door open.

Seeing Itachi smirk at her with his incredibly sexy grin Sakura blushed from head to toe.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked as she watched Itachi take his shirt off.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," he murmured sexily into her ear.

"Would you prefer a show before we give you your gift?"

# # #

_AN: Finished. Sorry it took me forever to finish it off... I'm lazy. Hope you enjoyed the fluffy ending!!! Review!_


	7. UPDATE

Go here .net/s/5569149/1/

for sequel. It's a continuation, but it's Itachi/Sakura. After that it will be SasuNaru. Not much plot development... just me fucking around with the pairings causing drama.


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